A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall
by evolution-500
Summary: Trapped inside a mansion hidden in the woods, S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team is determined to find Bravo Team and uncover the mystery behind the cannibal killings. With dark forces lurking around every corner, what was once a rescue mission turns into an intense struggle for both their survival and their sanity. Continuation of "A Star's Descent". House of the Dead Xover
1. Prologue: Alpha Team

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Prologue: Alpha Team**

**July 24th, 1998**

**Raccoon City, Colorado - Two hours earlier...**

There were a lot of things that Chris Redfield hated.

For one, he hated the weather - even though it had rained last night, the heat was ungodly, causing him to sweat by the bucket loads, soaking the white sleeveless tank top and khaki pants he had on. It was so hot that he had to put his favorite brown leather jacket onto the passenger seat beside him as he drove to work in his old crappy white Cavalier.

But it wasn't the heat that worried him. It was the fact that he was _late_ that got to him, and he absolutely _hated_ being late. Every time he was late meant either some snide remark from that snotty prick Irons, or, at the worst, a reprimand from his commanding officer, Captain Wesker. Chris hated being scolded at like some damn two year-old late for school, but if there was one thing that he really, REALLY hated, it was traffic, which was why he was late in the first place.

Taking a left on Flower Street, Chris saw the looming grey form of the Racoon City Police Department ahead. Why the hell would anyone want to make an art museum into a police station was beyond him, but he had heard rumors of there being secret passages somewhere, although he was damned if he knew where they were. If he _had_ known, he could have avoided this whole hassle.

_'Too bad it's nothing more than a rumor,'_ Chris thought sourly as he swept a hand through his brown hair.

Driving up to the Parking Garage at the back of the Police Station, stopping just in front of the gate beside the card detector, he reached into his pocket, then froze, his heart sinking.

"Oh fuck."

Chris felt around his pockets, then checked the side compartments of his Cavalier, his backseat, his glove compartment, the car seats, his jacket pockets, the car floor, then rechecked again.

"Where is it?! For Christ's sakes, where is it?!" he swore. Someone honked behind him.

"Move!" the guy called.

"Just give me a sec," Chris called back as he searched. He checked, rechecked, then checked a third time.

"Move the fuck out of the way!" the man called in irritation.

This can't be happening. This must be a dream.

Sitting back into the driver's seat, Chris stared ahead, then slammed his forehead into the steering wheel.

_'I forgot the Parking Garage keycard,'_ he thought, wincing at his bad luck.

The man honked behind him again, and again, throwing a slew of expletives.

_'I hate my life.'_

* * *

Once he finally found a parking space somewhere on Ennerdale Street, Chris approached the front entrance to the Precinct, looking up at the concrete archway with the letters RPD at the top.

Taking a deep breath, he mentally prepared himself for what was to follow.

Pushing the gates open, he stepped through, making his way toward the grey column-lined entrance of the building. Leaning casually against a wall having a cigarette was Kevin Ryman. Dressed in a black RPD uniform with a five o'clock shadow, his hair was long and parted in the center, his bangs swept over his ears.

"Good to see you, Redfield," Ryman greeted amiably.

"Good to see you too, Kev," Chris replied, then frowned. "Are you drunk?"

Ryman shrugged.

"It's one of those days." he answered.

"You really need to lay off the booze," Chris warned.

"And you really need to get a better clock," Ryman remarked.

The S.T.A.R.S. Point Man sighed. Everyone's always on his case about that.

"Is the Captain here?"

Ryman looked at him.

"Chris," he said seriously, "the guy's the freaking Terminator - he's _always_ here."

Chris frowned. He was afraid of that. Part of him had hoped that the Captain himself would be late.

"Damn," he muttered. "Well, I better get going. Nice seeing you, Kev."

"Take care."

* * *

When Chris finally arrived at the S.T.A.R.S. office on the third floor, he carefully and quietly opened the door and looked inside.

A large rectangular room with four split desks joined together in the middle with a sealed off weapons locker to the far left. At the opposite of the room, nestled into the far corner beside a shelf was another desk with several unopened boxes, various devices and communication equipment.

Looking to the desk ahead, Chris saw his partner Jill Valentine as she worked, reading some file. A fit woman of twenty-four, Jill was half-French, half-Japanese, a stunning looker that stood at five foot five and weighed a hundred and eleven pounds with dark brown hair done in a medium bob cut. Dressed in a blue S.T.A.R.S. uniform with thick shoulder pads, a black belt with a fanny pack and laced up black boots, Jill was Rear Security and S.T.A.R.S.' B&E (breaking and entering) specialist.

In the desk further behind her, close to the weapons locker, sat Barry Burton. Thirty-eight years old, Barry was a heavy set bear of a man that stood at six one and weighed a hundred and ninety-seven pounds. Caucasian with short light brown hair, a widow's peak, an aquiline nose and a thick beard, Barry was S.T.A.R.S.' Backup Man and Weapons' Supplier, not to mention one of Chris' oldest friends from the Air Force. Seeing the two at their desks, Chris looked around. He didn't see anyone else, but it was the office door immediately to his left that worried him.

Closing the door as quietly as possible behind him, Chris tiptoed to his desk, glancing around nervously. Jill sighed.

"The Captain's not in, Chris," she replied.

He relaxed.

"Thank god," The S.T.A.R.S. Point Man sighed as he hung up his leather jacket on the coatrack near his desk. "Where is he?"

"He's been in a meeting with Chief Irons all day," Barry said as he cleaned his favorite 44 Magnum.

"You really need to get a new alarm clock," Jill said dryly.

"It's not my fault," Chris retorted. "Bloody traffic wouldn't let up!"

"Uh huh," the Alpha woman smirked knowingly.

He looked around.

"Where are Joseph and Brad?" Chris asked.

"They're just getting some coffee," Barry answered.

"Hm," the Point Man grunted. "What are you reading, Jill?"

"Reports from the Cannibal cases," she replied, shaking her head as she massaged her eyes.

Chris frowned. For two months, there have been a slew of cannibal murders and animal attacks on hikers and residents living near Raccoon Forest. The RPD suspected that it was the work of cultists, but progress has been slow, and because of that, the Public was getting increasingly nervous, which was why Bravo Team was dispatched last night.

Jill frowned. "None of this makes any sense."

"What do you make of it?" Chris asked.

Her frowned deepened.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I wish the damn autopsy reports were a bit more thorough."

Chris looked over his shoulder. "Any thoughts on the subject, Barry?"

Barry shrugged.

"Probably narcotics," he suggested. "Maybe someone spiked people's drinks with bathsalts or something."

"If the attackers were teenagers or college students, I could buy into that," Jill said, "but the reports indicate a much wider range. Men, women, children. Seniors. People with no reported history of violence or substance abuse. I don't get it."

"Neither do I," Chris looked at his partner in concern. "Anything from Bravo Team yet?"

Jill shook her head.

"No, we haven't heard a thing from them. Not since last night," She replied, her frown deepening even further. "I hope they're okay."

Chris nodded in agreement.

"You and me both," he said quietly. He glanced curiously to the desk at the other end of the room with all the unopened packages. "Is that the new kid's stuff?"

Jill shrugged. "I think so. Word is that she's some kind of child genius."

"Really? Child genius, eh?" Chris raised a brow. "Any military experience?"

"None whatsoever, from what I hear. Apparently she's eighteen and had just graduated from university."

Chris frowned. "Jesus, eighteen? Boy do I feel old. Why would Captain Wesker take someone like that onto the team?"

"Publicity stunt, perhaps?" Jill suggested. "Maybe he wants to make her the team mascot?"

Looking to Barry, he studied the man's face as he cleaned his handgun.

"How about you, Barry?" he asked. "Any thoughts?"

Barry grunted.

"Just so long she isn't like the last one, I don't care," he answered gruffly.

Chris nodded.

"There's a woman downstairs waiting in Reception on one of the benches. I think she's the Rookie's mother."

Jill sighed. "God, she's still here?"

"Yeah. She's worried sick."

"I can imagine," Barry said as he shook his head. "If _my_ daughter were out there and _I_ haven't heard her, I'd be doing the same thing."

Although Chris knew that was the truth, he suspected that the more likely scenario in Barry's case would be that he would arm himself to the teeth and search the entire damn mountain itself if necessary. A dedicated family man with a wife and two daughters, Barry was absolutely fearless. The only thing that scared him, Chris knew, was never seeing them again, and although the Alpha Point Man himself wasn't married, he understood those feelings all too well with his little sister Claire.

Settling into his chair beside Jill's, he sighed.

"I told her to go home, but she's pretty insistent on staying," Chris said sadly. "I really feel bad for her."

His partner nodded sympathetically.

Hearing the door open, the trio turned to see Brad "Chickenheart" Vickers as he entered. Hailing from Delucia, Colorado, a dinky little town a few miles from Raccoon, he was five nine, weighing no more than a hundred and thirty-nine pounds. Both the RPD recruiter and Alpha Team's pilot, Vickers was a dorky-looking fellow with short brown hair, a yellow vest, green camouflage pants, black boots and a white shirt. While he was certainly a good pilot, he did not have any combat experience, and because of that detail he tended to get nervous and would flee at the first sign of danger, thus earning him the nickname "Chickenheart", much to Vickers' chagrin.

"Hey Brad," Chris greeted.

"Hey Chris," the pilot nodded as he went to the communications equipment, sitting down into a chair as he put on some headphones.

"How'd the date go?"

Vickers frowned.

"Lousy," he answered.

"Ah hell," Chris said. "Well, don't worry about it, Brad. Plenty of fish in the sea."

Shortly after he said that, Joseph Frost entered the room, carrying a cardboard box under one arm and reading a magazine with the other, chuckling to himself.

Alpha Team's Omni Man, a term used to describe someone in charge of vehicle and weapon maintenance, Frost was a short blonde man of five ten, weighing a hundred and fifty-nine pounds. Dressed in a blue vest with a white shirt, green camouflage pants, black combat boots, fingerless gloves and a red bandana tied around his head, Frost was the resident jokester, constantly wearing a bright sunny smile.

"Hey Joseph," Chris nodded.

"Hey Chris."

"What are you reading?"

Joseph laughed.

"Raccoon Monthly, June Issue," he answered. "There's a really funny article in here about Irons - hilarious stuff!"

Clearing his throat, he started to read in an overly serious tone.

"'Attention All Raccoon City Heroes!  
Who's the most feared, yet respected man in town? The answer should be obvious to any resident of our fair city.  
That's right! It's police chief Brian Irons: the man that scares the bejeezus out of criminals everywhere and stern father that loves every last one of us sinful citizens.

Chief Irons is known for his great charity work, including big contributions to the orphanage, support for abused women, art preservation, animal conservation - let us know if we've missed anything! Just when does our great hero sleep!? When asked, "The city is my extended family. I'm just doing what I'd do for my family," Chief Irons said with a soft smile.'"

Chris shook his head.

"Jesus, someone actually wrote that?" he said in disbelief.

"Yup," the Omni Man nodded. "All it's missing is a picture of Irons dangling from a helicopter."

"Forget helicopter, it makes it sound like the guy is Superman or something!" Barry said. "Jesus,_ 'sinful citizens'_? I can't believe they used that phrase."

"You and me both, Barry," Chris nodded in agreement.

Joseph tucked the magazine under his arm.

"So Chris," he grinned, "I see you're late as usual."

The Alpha Point Man huffed. "What makes you so sure?"

"I saw you trying to get in the Parking Garage," Frost chuckled. "You forgot your keycard again, haven't you?"

"No I haven't!" he said defensively.

Jill, Barry and Vickers turned around, giving him knowing looks.

"Chris?" the former deadpanned.

The Alpha Point Man was quiet for several seconds.

"...Okay I had," he conceded, muttering under his breath.

The Alphas chuckled amongst themselves while he grumbled.

"What do you have there?" Jill asked as she pointed to the box.

"I found this in Jo-Jo's locker downstairs in the West Office," Joseph answered. "The locker door was wide open."

"Joseph," Barry said warningly.

"I'm going to put it back!" the Omni Man retorted as he put it on his desk, opening it up. He stared, blinking for several seconds. "Guys...check this out."

The Alphas gathered around the box, staring inside, all stone quiet.

Jill blinked.

"Is that...?" she trailed off.

Frost's grin grew even larger as he pulled out a massive dildo.

"Well, well, well!" he laughed. "I wonder what Jo-Jo's been up to!"

He started to measure it against his forearm.

"Jesus, he really _was_ armed and dangerous! I think you can kill an elk with this thing!"

He looked over at Barry.

"What do you think, Barry?"

"I don't care," the big man said gruffly.

"Aw, what's the matter, Big Bear?" Joseph asked. "Worried you're not packing equipment this size?"

Barry raised a brow. "Joseph, I'm in the middle of cleaning a 44 Magnum. Is it wise to piss me off when I'm holding this thing?"

The Omni Man considered it.

"...Good point," he conceded, then turned the sex toy in Chris' direction, pointing it at him.

Chris frowned.

"Put it away, Joseph."

Joseph uttered a low, devious laugh as he slowly approached the Alpha Point Man, waving it around in the air in front of him.

"Joseph..." Chris said warningly.

The Alpha moved closer, his laughs never ceasing.

"Jo- No!" Chris ducked out of the way laughing as he sought to escape his colleague. "You son of a bitch!"

Pulling another toy from the box to protect himself, he got into a stance with his weapon. This means war.

* * *

Jill watched with a flat expression as a weird re-enactment of"Star Wars" occurred in the S.T.A.R.S. office. Joseph spun his weapon confidently as he and Chris circled each other, the two making light sabre noises with their mouths.

"The force is strong with you," the latter said as he imitated Darth Vader.

Shaking her head, Jill looked down to the report, sighing wearily.

"Men," she muttered.

"What is going on here?"

At the sound of Captain Wesker's deep baritone voice, everyone leapt up to attention as he entered the room. Six feet tall, clean-shaven, impeccably dressed in his black S.T.A.R.S. uniform with peroxide blonde hair and black reflective sunglasses concealing his eyes, Wesker was a hundred and eighty-six pounds of lean muscle, despite being the same age as Barry.

Turning to both Chris and Joseph, he eyed both men, his face unreadable.

"What are you hiding behind you?" he asked, his voice deceptively calm and neutral.

"Uhh nothing!" Chris said nervously.

Jill winced. Bad move, Chris.

If there was one thing she knew about Captain Wesker with any certainty, it was that he had a nose for bullshit - he had the uncanny ability to instantly know when someone was lying to him. Jill herself had found that out the hard way when she first interviewed for S.T.A.R.S.; in her file, she listed herself as being a former Delta Force soldier, which he described as TFN or "Total Fucking Nonsense" based on the fact that they didn't allow for female combatants, a fact that he knew perfectly well, having been a commissioned engineering officer within the Army.

The Alpha Captain coolly studied him and Frost, his gaze never wavering for a moment. He regarded both with the same patience a schoolmaster would give naughty children.

"By nothing you mean..." he said expectantly.

Chris sweated furiously, then relented and held out the massive sex toy that he was hiding behind his back. Barry snorted, causing Wesker to turn in his direction, silencing the big man instantly. Turning back to Redfield, he regarded the object in his hand distastefully.

"Was this the typical sort of thing you did back in the Air Force?" The Alpha Captain queried.

"No sir," Chris answered, gulping as he became aware of how oppressive the very air has become, so much so that he felt like it were suffocating him.

"Then why are you two playing around for?" Wesker said neutrally, not once raising his voice, making them flinch regardless. "This isn't a playground - this is where adults come to work. Or am I wrong in assuming you are both grown men?"

The Alphas swallowed.

"...We're sorry, sir," Chris said nervously.

"You're sorry," he repeated. "Has it ever occurred to either one of you that someone might have used these?"

Frost paled. There came a knock at the door.

"Come in," Wesker said, his eyes remaining on Chris.

The door opened, revealing an officer with a mustache. As soon as Wesker's eyes averted away from him, Chris let out a deep breath of relief, the air returning back to his lungs.

"What do you want?" Wesker demanded.

"Sorry to bother you, Captain," the officer nodded, "...but I was told that Frost had taken a box up here with him. It contains bugged items that the Vice Squad are using for a sting operation."

Wesker looked to the giant phallus in Chris' hands, then looked back to the officer.

"Show me," he ordered.

Taking one of the sex toys from the box, the officer unscrewed the bottom, pulling out a miniature microphone in demonstration.

"Huh," Frost grunted, "a dick that listens. Something new everyday."

Chris laughed, earning a glare from Wesker. Looking back to the item, the latter raised a brow.

"...Interesting equipment," The Alpha Captain commented, causing Jill and a few others to quietly chuckle. "Who's in charge?"

"Lieutenant Hunter, sir." he said.

Wesker gestured to Chris and Frost. "Put them away."

The two men nodded as they complied.

"I'll take that." Wesker said, grabbing the box.

"But sir-"

"I'm just taking it to my office," Wesker cut him off. "I want to call Lieutenant Hunter to confirm."

"Very well, sir."

The Alpha Captain turned back to Chris and Joseph, looking up and down at the former.

"You're out of uniform, Redfield," he reminded.

"I'm just heading to my locker now, Captain," Chris nodded.

"Get to it quickly - there's something urgent I need to announce."

Chris gave a half nod and exited the room.

As Wesker turned his attention to Joseph, Jill felt the room temperature suddenly plummet, causing her to shiver as the sunglasses glared at the Omni Man. "As for you, Frost, I want a word with you in my office. Now."

Jill watched as Joseph's color faded, his smile gone. Wesker then turned to the rest of the Alphas. "The rest of you get back to work."

"Yes sir." They all said collectively.

Joseph entered Wesker's office, giving Jill and Chris a look of dread as he closed the door behind them. Barry and Jill looked at each other, then quietly laughed.

"Did you see the look he made when Chris showed him that thing?" the latter wheezed.

"Oh Christ!" the former said as he wiped his eyes. "That was something!"

Jill sighed. "I love this job."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Jill saw Chris return, now dressed in his S.T.A.R.S. uniform.

Casting her eyes up and down his figure appraisingly, she let her gaze wander. At twenty-five years old, Redfield was a hunk, one of the most good-looking guys in the Department. Average in height, with short brown hair done in a crew cut, the Alpha's shirt and pants were grey, with a green tactical combat vest protectively wrapped around his torso, kneepads adorning his legs, and a fanny pack tied around his waist. With his black combat boots and good looks, Chris looked like an action figure brought to life, and in a lot of ways, to Jill anyway, he was. A former pilot, Redfield had joined the Air Force when he was seventeen to provide for his younger sister Claire and the rest of his family, serving in 1990 onward before being dishonorably discharged for insubordination in 1995. Strong-willed and full of conviction, he was an exemplary combatant with a good service record. If it wasn't for his friendship with Barry and the latter's recommendation to Wesker, he probably wouldn't have been accepted into S.T.A.R.S.

_'Funny how things are never what we expect,'_ the B&E specialist thought as she reflected on her own upbringing and acceptance into the unit, as it was in total contrast to Redfield's.

The daughter of Dick Valentine, an infamous thief, Jill had lived a life of crime, hotwiring cars and stealing various monies and valuables with her father. It was only when she was in her teens, after her father was caught and sent to prison, that she was forced to turn her life around. When she interviewed Wesker, she had been so certain that he would have rejected her due to her criminal background if he found out about it, only to find, much to her surprise, that the Alpha Captain wanted her to join _because_ of it!

And now, here she was!

Wesker stepped out from his office, holding the box toward the officer.

"Lieutenant Hunter has confirmed what you said," he said. "Go ahead."

The officer nodded. "Thank you, Captain."

As the door closed behind the departing officer as he left, Wesker turned to face the other S.T.A.R.S. members.

"Alright, everyone, eyes up here," he ordered, drawing their attention. "As you are all aware, I've been dealing with Irons and bureaucratic bullshit for the entire day."

Jill watched him intently.

"What's the word, Captain?" she asked.

He pushed up the sunglasses up to the bridge of his nose. "We're going in to get Bravo."

"Hell yeah!" Joseph palmed his fist. "Fucking finally!"

"Bloody Irons," Chris muttered. "You'd think he would have sent us sooner."

Wesker nodded in agreement. "He is a loathsome man, that is for certain, but it's important to follow protocol, Redfield. It's a slow process, but tensions are high right now. It's not just the Mayor's Office we have to worry about, but the Media as well. Everything we do will be under intense scrutiny, so I want everyone at their best. I don't want any fuckups. Vickers, get the helicopter ready."

"Yes sir," the pilot nodded.

"Burton, get to the Armory and load up some supplies and medkits."

"Yes Captain," Barry nodded.

"Everyone else pack up your gear and get ready. We're leaving."

* * *

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

Chris sat still in the Bell UH1 Iroquois, listening to the drone of the propeller as he looked out the window. Normally the Point Man wouldn't be so bothered by the sound, but hearing it now made him anxious.

His team had flown over Raccoon Forest on a number of occasions throughout the years, usually to track down lost hikers or civilians caught in a snowstorm, stuck on a mountain somewhere or whatever, so he had no reason to feel so...apprehensive.

And yet...the feeling was there.

Staring into the vast gulf of woodland down below, Chris could only see shadows, and the more he stared into them, the more active and wild his imagination became. His mind vividly played out a number of scenarios of what he and his team were likely to find.

On the one hand, the optimist within him felt sure that all Alpha Team was going to find was Bravo Team's helicopter, the worst case scenario being that its crew were all tired, bored and irritated for having to wait for so damn long. They exchange words, pick up, then leave.

The cynic in Chris, however, pushed that part off a cliff, and with that, his thoughts turned dark as he considered the possibilities.

Staring out the window, he repressed the urge to shiver as he took in the landscape.

The forest was deceptively still.

Lifeless, even.

And yet, Chris knew better than to trust its appearance.

There was a strong undercurrent of possibility emanating from those woods. How he knew, Chris wasn't too sure, but he could practically..._feel_ it, deep in his bones.

His team were heading into enemy territory blind, and the constant thumping of the propeller was getting to him.

To Redfield, it sounded like a gigantic war drum calling for violence, blood and sacrifice, as if trying to summon a long-forgotten god of war to come claim his due, stirring primal feelings deep within the Alpha Point Man as he shifted nervously in his seat.

From the way a lot of the others acted, they shared similar sentiments, although they did their best not to show their anxiety.

Nobody knew what to expect find out in the woods. Anything could happen at a moment's notice, and that uncertainty hung over Alpha Team. The coolest one of the bunch was Wesker, his eyes hidden behind those damn sunglasses as he sat opposite of the Point Man.

_'Guy has one hell of a poker face,'_ Chris thought.

"Nervous, Redfield?" he asked over the headset.

Chris half-shrugged. "A little."

Wesker leaned forward and patted him on the shoulder, catching Chris by surprise as he gave him a quiet nod of assurance. Chris smiled and nodded back in thanks.

The Alphas waited as the propeller droned on. Frost frowned.

"Fuck this quiet shit, I'm putting on some music," he muttered as he grabbed his boom box.

Turning it on, he pressed the play button, then leaned back as Tryanglz's "Burning to the Third Degree" played over the speakers, synthesizers mixing with the thumping of the propeller.

_"'No control,  
walk right into coals to feel the pain.  
I'm lost in you.'"_

Barry nervously clutched his Colt Anaconda as Joseph loaded in the shells for his shotgun, a customized Mossberg 590.

_"'Oh,  
now you strike the match and light the flame.  
My hearts a blaze,  
I feel the heat of your desire,  
I just can't face the fire.__  
_

_'You've got me burnin'  
You've got me burnin'  
You've got me burnin' in the third degree!_

_'You've got me burnin'  
You've got me burnin'  
You've got me burnin' in the third degree!'"_

Chris fidgeted nervously.

"We're coming up on the coordinates of Bravo's last transmission, Captain," Vickers said on the head set. "ETA Five minutes.'"

"Roger that," Wesker replied as he nodded to Jill and Chris. The two checked their Samurai Edge handguns. The Alpha Point Man felt his heart hammer in his ears.

"Just a heads up, guys - I see a lot of smoke coming up from part of the mountain. It looks like there had been a fire."

"Is it still burning?" Wesker queried.

"Negative," Vickers answered. "It looks clear."

The Alpha Captain nodded.

"Good," he replied. "At least we don't have to worry about a potential forest fire."

"We should contact fire and emergency services just in case," Chris added.

Wesker nodded in agreement. "Definitely."

* * *

Dark clouds loomed over the Huey as it travelled over some swaying pines, the orange hue of the setting sun dully coloring them.

* * *

_'Hypnotize,  
see the flicker gleaming in your eyes.  
It catches me.  
Oh,  
I take it and you'll never let me go,  
I'm your prisoner.  
I feel the heat of your desire,  
I just can't face the fire._

_You've got me burnin'!  
You've got me burnin'!  
You've got me burnin' in the third degree!'"_

"I see a clearing. Landing now."

"Roger," Wesker replied.

_"'You've got me burnin'!  
You've got me burnin'!  
You've got me burnin' in the third degree!'' _

"Frost turn that shit off!" Wesker ordered.

"Yes Captain."

As the Omni Man turned off the radio, Chris felt a churn in his stomach as he heard the final set of lyrics.

_"'Can't stop my body's aching,  
give us what this all has taken,  
I'm the victim of your passion,  
Now you're burning' too.'"_

* * *

The Huey landed down in a clearing. Once it settled, the cabin doors opened.

"Go! Go! Go!" Wesker ordered.

Jill ran out from the chopper, her Samurai Edge drawn and ready as she and the others checked their surroundings. Wesker raised his radio.

"Bravo Team, do you read? This is Alpha Team. Over," he called.

No response.

"Bravo Team, do you copy? This is Alpha Team. Over."

Nothing.

Jill eyed the trees and bushes as they rustled, listening intently. Wesker frowned.

"According to their last transmission, their helicopter should be located just up ahead. Stay sharp and keep your eyes peeled," he ordered. "Redfield, you're on point. Burton, cover him. Frost, Valentine, cover the rear. Let's find Bravo and bring them home."

"Yes sir." the Alphas affirmed in unison.

* * *

Bravo Team's chopper was located two hundred meters ahead. A few trees and branches were knocked down, but it was the helicopter's condition that took the S.T.A.R.S. officers by surprise. It was a complete wreck. Parts of it were cut clean off. But that wasn't what drew their immediate attention.

Chris stared at the sight before them.

"What...the..." he trailed off.

Jill put a hand over her mouth and turned around, vomiting into a bush.

"Mother of God!" Barry gasped.

Even the unshakable Wesker had his mouth open in shock. Stabbed into the ground like a makeshift crucifix beside the helicopter was the propeller. On the top upper blade pointing to the sky, however, mounted obscenely like some disgusting scarecrow or trophy was Kevin's dismembered upper half, his ribcage exposed, his eyes missing, probably the result of crows. Flies buzzed around noisily, their fat bodies wandering all over his flesh and exposed ribs.

"Mother. _FUCKERS_!" Frost said, yelling the last part as he clenched his Mossberg angrily.

"Keep the noise down," Wesker hissed. "You'll give away our position."

Chris lowered his head down respectfully to their fallen comrade.

_'Rest in peace, Kevin.'_

He then turned his attention to the damage on the helicopter.

"What do you make of this, Frost?"

Chris watched as Frost kept his eyes fixed on the Bravo pilot's torso, crossing himself before turning away.

"I'll need to take a closer look, Captain." the Omni Man said.

Wesker nodded.

"Go ahead."

Taking that as his cue, Chris watched as Frost approached the chopper, studying the damage to the cabin and propellers. After a few minutes, he pulled away, perplexed.

"Well?" Wesker said expectantly.

Frost turned back to them, blinking in confusion.

"What is it?" Chris asked.

The Omni Man frowned.

"...I...don't know," he said with uncertainty. "The cuts look clean. It almost looks like some sort of saw went through it, but...that's...impossible!"

The Alphas glanced at each other, puzzled by this news.

"It must be a pretty powerful one to cut through it," Barry commented.

Chris gestured to Kev's torso.

"I'll take him down."

"Don't." Wesker spoke.

Chris turned around. "But Captain-"

"This is a crime scene, Redfield," the Alpha Captain reminded. "If we want to nail the bastards responsible, we need to preserve the evidence." He looked to the torso, adding, "What evidence is left, anyway. We should focus on finding Bravo, otherwise they _all_ may end up just like this. Or worse."

The Point Man stood quietly, then nodded.

"You're right." he said. "I'm sorry, Captain."

Wesker nodded back.

"We'll get them." he assured.

Bushes rustled, drawing everyone's attention. Chris raised his weapon as everyone pointed theirs to a bush close to the chopper as it shook.

"Safeties off," Wesker ordered.

The Alphas obeyed.

"I am Captain Wesker of S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team. Identify yourself." The Team Captain commanded.

The bush shook even more, the rustling growing. Chris waited with baited breath, his finger on the trigger.

_It_ emerged.

Chris and the others stared.

"What the fuck?" he breathed.

The thing _looked_ like a dog, like a skinny Rottweiler of some sort...but...it_ wasn't_. For one, parts of its skin were grey and scaly like a lizard's, with a pair of bat-like wings sprouting from its shoulders, a long gray crest protruding from the back of its head and an exposed rib cage.

"The hell is this thing?!" Barry muttered.

Jill stared, her mouth gaping open.

Wesker's face was unreadable.

The creature snarled as it stepped out from the bushes. The Alphas backed away slowly, their weapons trained on the creature. More dogs started to emerge, all of them different from whatever the hell this thing was, but not for the better. They all looked like some sick bastard had skinned them, with pasty white eyes. The leader of this "pack", if it could be called that, charged toward Frost, leaping up toward the Omni Man as he discharged his weapon.

According to history books, it was the shot heard around the world that began the American Revolution in 1775. On July 24th, 1998, at four thirty in the afternoon, it was the shot that marked the beginning of an endless nightmare as wave after wave of hounds began to charge, causing the Alphas to fire their weapons all at once. More dogs started appear along with others like their "leader".

"Everyone retreat back to the helicopter!" Wesker commanded.

"Covering fire!" Barry yelled as he blasted several with his Colt Anaconda.

Chris ran as fast as he could, firing over his shoulder at the pursuing animals.

_'Just a little further, just a little further!'_ he thought. _'Don't let up now!'_

Gunshots echoed and popped as they discharged their weapons. They were getting closer to the helicopter.

_'Just a little further, just a little-'_

Chris' heart stopped as he saw the helicopter lift.

"No no no no no NO!" The Point Man muttered. "BRAD!"

"DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE, VICKERS!" Wesker snarled.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" Jill yelled.

"DON'T YOU LEAVE, BRAD!" Frost called. "DON'T YOU FUCKING-"

The helicopter was airborne now. The Alphas waved their arms and yelled furiously, some even firing up to the sky as it disappeared over the trees.

"BRAD YOU CHICKENSHIT!" Barry roared.

Chris and his coworkers stared in shock and disbelief.

"He left us!" Frost said disbelievingly. "Fucker just left us!"

"As soon as I get my hands on him, I'm going to wring that coward's neck!" Chris growled.

"You will have to wait once I've finished with him," Wesker said darkly.

"Guys," Jill said nervously, "we have company."

The dogs charged toward them.

"RUN!" Chris yelled as he fired.

The Alphas ran through the trees, the various branches cutting their shirts and pants. Redfield's chest burned, his legs protesting in pain as they ran for an indeterminate amount of time.

"I'm out of ammo!" he called.

"I'm down to one clip!" Jill yelled.

"Conserve your ammunition!" Wesker ordered. "I see a mansion at twelve o'clock, three hundred meters ahead. Head there!"

"Roger!"

Pushing past the trees and long grass that reached up to their waists, the Alphas ran. Chris could hear the bushes and grass rustle behind him along with the growls and barks of their canine pursuers, even at times feeling their hot breath on the back of his heels as he narrowly escaped being nipped. Up ahead, the mansion loomed, a massive grey and white fancy thing that had a statue of a woman at the front. The closer the Alphas moved toward it, the larger it became.

With the last bit of willpower he could muster, Redfield ran with everything he had, his lungs and legs begging for him to stop, his face flushed as his heart thundered in his chest. Reaching out with his hand, he grabbed hold of the door handle and pushed past.

"EVERYONE IN!" He called.

Jill ran in along with Wesker and Barry.

"HURRY, JOSEPH!" Chris yelled.

"YOU'RE ALMOST THERE, BUDDY!" Barry called. "JUST A FEW MORE FEET!"

The Omni Man fired five more rounds at the pack with his Mossberg, then bolted through the door.

Chris slammed the door, then fell back as he felt heavy weight push back.

"I need help!"

The Alphas struggled as they attempted to push the door furiously into its frame. Once Chris was able to get it closed, he threw on the locks then backed away, watching and listening as it shook. After several minutes, the barking stopped. No one moved.

"Are they gone?" Jill asked, her voice a strangled parody of itself.

Joseph panted, wiping the sweat out of his eyes.

"Don't know, don't care," he said. "I'm just glad we made it out of there in one piece."

Chris let out a deep sigh of relief as he collapsed onto the floor.

"Get up, Redfield," Wesker said.

"I just need a little rest, Captain," the Alpha Point Man muttered. "I need to catch my breath."

"What the hell were those things?!" Jill asked. "Did you see them?!"

"We all did," the Team Captain nodded.

"Since when are winged dogs a thing around here?"

"Perhaps they're costumes," Frost suggested.

"And those other dogs...Jesus, they had no skin!" she said in distress.

Chris studied Jill as she watched the door nervously. No doubt what had been done to them deeply troubled her, for she herself was a dog owner. The idea of someone, anyone, doing that to their pet, even to Jill's beloved golden retriever Philip, was repulsive. The Point Man looked to Wesker as he got back onto his feet.

"What do you think, Captain?" he asked.

Before he could utter a response, there came a crash to their left from one of the rooms, causing everyone to draw up their weapons.

"Redfield, Frost, go check it out," Wesker ordered.

"I don't have any ammo, sir." the latter replied.

The Alpha Captain reached into his vest and held two clips in offering. Taking them, Chris smiled in appreciation.

"Thank you, Captain."

Wesker nodded. "Don't mention it. Now go."

"Yes sir."

Raising his sidearm, the Alpha Point Man headed toward the door and grabbed the handle, his heart beating noisily in his ears as it slowly opened...


	2. Chapter One: The Suspect

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter One: The Suspect**

Redfield levelled his weapon as he moved inside, checking his corners for hostiles. Joseph followed close behind, his Mossberg steady as the duo glanced around, the door closing behind them. They were six feet in when the Point Man abruptly stopped, his attention focused on the body of a chubby man in his thirties near a ruined table. Approaching the fallen figure, Chris kneeled down and studied it, then raised his radio.

"Captain, do you read? Over," he said quietly.

"Ten-four," Wesker crackled. "What's the situation?"

"We're in some sort of dining hall," Chris answered, "but it looks like a table had been pretty smashed up by a fallen statue. We've also found a body, looks like a civilian. Caucasian, mid to late thirties, overweight with a hole in his head. Looks like he was killed execution style."

"Damn." A sharp intake of breath later, the radio continued, "Keep your guard up and revert to radio silence. See if there's anyone or anything else you can find. Good luck. Over and out."

* * *

As Wesker lowered his radio, Jill heard a clatter to the right, causing her and Barry to draw up their weapons.

"What the hell was that?" the former said.

"I'll check it out," Barry volunteered as he raised his trusty Colt Anaconda.

Jill frowned. "It's dangerous going alone. I'll come with you."

Wesker raised his pistol.

"Alright," he nodded, "I will stay and secure the area."

Jill nodded back.

"Be safe, Captain."

* * *

Chris peered into the next room. Outside was a corridor with a small square section to the left with two chairs and a coffee table with a lamp, what looked to be a tea room, with a door a few feet away from them. Stepping cautiously toward it, he whirled around toward the other end when he heard someone yelling.

"What the hell?" he whispered.

He tilted his head again, listening.

"That's Kenneth!" Frost whispered. "The filthy bastards must have gotten their hands on him!"

"It sounds like it's coming from in here!" Chris pointed to the door facing the one leading to the dining room. "Come on!"

The Omni Man grabbed the handle, then frowned.

"Damn it, it's locked!" he muttered.

Kenneth yelled again.

"What the hell is happening to him?!" Frost said nervously.

"I don't know, but we need to get to him as fast as possible," Chris said as he got into a stance. "On three. One. Two. Three!"

The duo slammed their feet into the door. Nothing.

"Again," Chris said determinedly. "One. Two. Three!"

They slammed their feet into the handle.

"One more time. One. Two. Three!"

* * *

Jill pushed the double doors open, her hands sticky. Glancing around, she studied her surroundings. The room appeared to be an exhibition room or art gallery with blue marble tiles and wallpaper with overhead lamps that shined on some very expensive looking paintings that covered the walls. In the center of the room was a ten foot stone statue of a woman holding a vase, the sculpture entitled "Woman Drawing Water". At the left hand side were a pair of red curtains that were drawn open, while to the right was a brown wooden door. A portrait of a girl sat on a wall between the two paths.

Stepping inside with Barry, the Alphas raised their weapons, carefully moving past the statue toward the left path, the double doors closing behind them.

_'Nice paintings,'_ Jill thought to herself. Whoever lived here certainly had a lot of money. A small part of her felt a little envious.

Drawing close to the wall with the painting, the B&E specialist readied herself when there came a knock outside the wooden door. Barry raised his Colt Anaconda, his eyes narrowed slits as he eyed the door.

Jill reached for the handle, only to find it wouldn't budge.

"Locked," she said quietly.

"Well, looks like it falls to you, Jill," Barry said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of lockpicks.

Jill frowned as she snatched them away from his fingers.

"You stole one of my lock picks?!" she said heatedly.

He raised his hands defensively.

"Whoa! I didn't _steal_, I just _borrowed_," he said, rubbing the back of his head nervously, a sheepish grin forming on his face. "...I forgot the key to my locker and couldn't get my sandwich out. Sorry."

She sighed.

"You and your sandwiches," she muttered as she turned to face the door. Kneeling down, she inserted the picks into the keyhole, feeling around. After a minute or two, the duo heard an audible click.

"And...done."

"Way to go, Jill!" Barry cheered. "Another victory for the..."

He paused. "Uh."

Jill grinned as she stood up.

"Need help?" she said playfully.

"I got this!" the Weapons Supplier insisted, his brows scrunching up as he tried to think of what to say. "Another victory for the...Master of...unlocking...things..."

He trailed off as she raised a brow.

"...'Master of unlocking things'?" she repeated.

Barry pouted. Jill patted him on the shoulder.

"You silver-tongued devil you. You always did have a way with words, Barry," she grinned.

"Oh shut up."

Jill laughed when there came a sound from the room to the left, causing both Alphas to jump up in surprise.

Looking to Jill, Barry signalled for her to check it out. Nodding to him, the Alpha raised her weapon, then pushed past the curtains.

Stepping into a red room, with red wooden floorboards and wallpaper and white ionic columns, it appeared to be some sort of storage room based on some of the paintings lying around. Taking a left, Jill jerked back with a start.

"Whoa!" she said, startled.

Standing in front of a shelf that had various ceramic, marble and stone busts and paintings was a demon.

A towering figure with a skeletal frame, a pair of huge three-clawed hands and strange bird-like (or fly-like) feet, the creature had pale blueish-grey skin, with a pair of steel chrome horns on the top of its bald scalp. Protruding out from the sides of its head were long pointed ears, its long wiry body partially covered with a metallic chassis that had strange hexagonal grid-like markings all over it. A pair of pronounced pauldrons similarly marked adorned its shoulders, giving it an imposing look. One monstrous hand was draped over its left shoulder pointing upward, the other tucked underneath, pointing to the floor. Parts of its arms and legs were armored while other parts were barren, revealing what looked like exposed muscle, hoses and wires.

Seeing the latter, Jill lowered her weapon with a sigh.

_'Jesus it's just a sculpture!'_ she thought with relief. _'Albeit a very scary-looking one...' _

"You gave me quite the scare, big guy," she smiled.

The statue stood still, not responding to her. Feeling emboldened, Jill approached it, raising her chin up more and more the closer she came.

"Wow, you look absolutely incredible!" she marvelled. "Whoever made you deserves a pat on the back! You are HUGE!"

The statue silently loomed, staring at her with cold, pale white eyes. Jill swept her gaze along its body, studying its handsome humanoid face and long pointed ears. A long scar ran from one side of its brow down its cheek, while the other side was badly burned. The visage was impassive, and yet...the Alpha couldn't help sense something. She could only describe it as a sort of concealed ferocity, like a tiger waiting to pounce onto its prey. Reaching a hand out, Jill curiously poked it in the chest. Looking up at the sculpture, she smiled.

"You are by far the coolest thing I've ever seen!" she commented.

"Jill, are you okay?" Barry called from outside.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she called back, not taking her eyes off the statue. "Barry you have to check this out!"

"What is it?"

"You got to see this!"

She heard Barry's heavy footsteps as he approached.

"Holy-!" he cut himself off, leaping out of his skin.

"What do you think, Barry?" Jill said, impressed. "Isn't it cool?"

"It's...something," he commented uneasily. "Does this mean that the cultists live here?"

"With this thing here it would seem so," the B&E specialist asserted. "It looks so real. What do you think it's made of?"

"I have no idea," he shook his head. "Latex?"

Jill raised up her radio.

"Captain, are you there?"

"Ten-four," Wesker answered. "Everything okay?"

"Affirmative," Jill replied. "Barry and I are in some type of storage room, but I think we might be in the cultists' lair - we found a massive statue of what looks to be some sort of demon or demonic god."

There came a lengthy pause.

"A statue, you say?" Wesker spoke again. "Can you describe it?"

"Huge. About nine or ten feet tall with metal horns, wires and giant claws." Jill answered.

"Interesting." he murmured on the radio. "Keep your guard up - if it's an idol, chances are it's of some value to the cultists."

"I don't know if it's an idol or not, Captain," she said truthfully. "If it is, it's not like one that _I've_ ever seen."

"Did you encounter any guards?"

"Negative," she answered. "We haven't seen anyone yet."

"Don't let your guard down," Wesker warned. "It's possible there may be someone close by. Stay safe, Jill. Over and out."

Lowering her radio, the B&E specialist continued studying the massive figure.

"So lifelike..."

Staring at its scarred face, Jill raised a hand up, reaching out. She was just about to touch it when there came a loud moan from the next room, causing her and Barry to whip around with weapons drawn.

"You heard that?" she said quietly.

"Yeah. Let's check it out," Barry said as he raised his weapon and headed back out.

Looking back to the horned figure, Jill smiled.

"Well, duty calls," she said. "See you around, handsome."

Dropping the smile, the B&E specialist narrowed her eyes as she turned around, her weapon ready.

* * *

The door flew open. Somewhere Kenneth screamed while another person yelled for help.

"Kenneth!" Frost yelled. They heard a loud thump, followed by more screaming. "Jesus what the hell is going on?!"

"Come on!" Chris urged.

Pushing into the next room, the duo found themselves in an F-shaped corridor with wooden floorboards and green fungal wallpaper. Turning to a door to their left, Chris flung it open.

"Kenneth?!" he called. Pulling back into the F-shaped corridor, the duo proceeded further down and went into a small alcove with a door.

"Kenneth?"

Inside was the stone bust of a tiger.

Moving back outside, Chris frowned.

"Where the hell is he?!" he muttered.

As if in answer, Kenneth screamed again.

"It came from down there!" Frost pointed to the door to the left at the end of the corridor. Upon reaching it, the duo tried to turning the handle again, only to also find it locked.

It was then that Kenneth's screams reached a new level of intensity as he let out bloodcurdling wails of terror and agony.

Joseph looked around, his features withdrawn and haunted.

"Christ almighty, what the fuck are they doing to him?!" he said shakily.

"Help me get this door open!" Chris grunted as he slammed into it. Drawing back, the duo continued to slam into the door, all the while Kenneth screamed bloody murder.

_'Jesus, it sounds like those bastards are skinning him alive or something!'_ the Alpha Point Man thought gruesomely.

After several minutes of ramming at the door, Kenneth's screams abruptly stopped, causing Chris' heart to sink.

_Please god no!_

"Come on, move faster!" Chris said determinedly.

Three more kicks and the door gave way, revealing a long hallway that curled to the left. Stepping cautiously through, the Alphas approached a door closeby. Frost raised his Mossberg, his finger on the trigger as Chris reached for the handle when there came a loud yell followed by a grunt further down, forcing them to draw up their weapons. Edging down with their backs to the wall, the two rounded a corner, peering out.

"Holy shit," Joseph whispered.

Standing further down at the end of the hall beside a staircase leading upstairs was a giant of a man, the biggest Chris had ever seen in his entire life. Clad in a long red leather coat that had a raised collar and hood, with a pair of silver pauldrons on both shoulders that were marked with some sort of symbol, one of the pieces slightly cracked at the bottom, the figure was, by Chris' estimates, seven feet tall, with a rail-thin though lean frame, reminding the Alpha Point Man of either a scarecrow or a big cat like a panther. His arms were freakishly long and thin, with huge, paw-like gloved hands that had brass rings around each digit, the tips adorned with black claw-like decorations.

"Jesus, look at the size of him!" Joseph gaped in awe.

"He's a big fucker," Chris agreed.

The former squinted.

"What is that symbol?"

"What symbol?"

"The one on those shoulder plates," Joseph replied. "What is that, a cross?"

Turning his attention to the shoulder pieces, Chris studied the symbol that featured prominently on them.

"I don't think so," he whispered slowly. "I think that's a...star?"

He stared at it for a long time, then nodded.

"Yeah. An eight-pointed star. "

His back facing them, the suspect's attention was fixed on something upstairs. Staining the wooden floorboards were various body parts and blood, while staring lifelessly in Chris' direction beside the wall to the right was Kenneth's dismembered head.

"We're too late," Frost said with quiet regret.

"Wait," Chris pointed. "Look over there."

Lying on the floor a few feet away, untouched by the bloody carnage and seemingly unconscious, was a girl.

"I think that's the newbie." Chris said.

Joseph raised his shotgun, aiming it at the figure in red.

"I'll take him out."

"No!" Chris hissed, pushing the weapon away. "You might hit her!"

Looking to the floor, the figure quickly scooped something up and pointed it upstairs. Chris' heart pounded in his chest, hammering into his ears, threatening to climb out. Lowering the weapon, the hooded giant turned in the girl's direction, taking a step toward her.

_Oh no you don't, motherfucker!_

"I got this," Chris whispered.

Stepping out from the corner, he carefully and quietly walked down the hall toward the figure. Once he took four steps toward her, the giant started to kneel, causing the Alpha Point Man to quicken his step. When the giant bent over her, Chris bolted, dropping all pretense of stealth.

_'You're not getting her, asshole!'_ he thought.

The floor creaked as he ran. As the hooded figure glanced up from the girl, he started to turn. It was now or never. Letting out an angry challenging yell, Chris swung his right fist with all his might, his knuckles catching the mysterious figure in the eye just as he turned.

POW!

Hearing a satisfying crack, the Alpha Point Man watched as the red-cloaked figure fell to the floor, his body skidding along the ground.

"That's for Kevin, you son of a bitch," Chris said haughtily.

Behind him, he heard Joseph running to catch up. Seeing the figure sprawled out on the floor, the Alpha Omni Man let out a whistle.

"Nice one," he commended. "I think you might have knocked the fuck out of him."

"Check and cuff him," Chris pointed. "I'm going to check on her."

"Okay," Joseph said as he approached the figure in red.

Chris studied the girl. Wearing a green short-sleeved shirt and pants with a white vest, she looked to be the same age as his sister Claire, if not younger, with an oval face that had a short nose and chin with soft cheeks and pink lips, reminding him of a pixie, with short brown hair cut like a boy's.

_'Poor kid,'_ he thought pitiably. From the condition of her clothes and her person, she looked she had been through a lot; not only was the former cut, torn and dirty in places, she also had a bandage wrapped around her forehead.

_I hope it's not serious._

He checked her pulse, then sighed in relief. Pulse was normal.

"Hey," he tapped the floor. "Hey rookie! Are you okay?"

She groaned.

"Yo Chris!" Joseph called.

"Not now, Joseph," Chris snapped.

"Chris you've got to see this!"

Raising his eyes up to make a retort, the Alpha Point Man paused, startled by the sight before him as Joseph pulled back the red hood. Although the red-clad figure had a short yet thick mane of silver hair, he was little more than a boy.

Stepping away from the rookie, Chris approached, curious and intrigued. Grabbing a handful of the fallen figure's hair, he gave a tug upward, testing it. His brows knitting together, he started to feel the rest of the youth's face along with his long pointed ears.

"...It's real," he murmured in surprise.

"I know, right?" Joseph nodded. "I thought he was wearing a mask."

"No kidding," Chris said as he studied the youth's face.

The boy was handsome, _very_ handsome in fact, in a dark, old-world aristocratic and wolfish sort of way, if not slightly androgynous. With his chiseled angular features, thin lips, pronounced cheekbones and chin along with his slightly long, sharp yet perfectly straight nose, he looked like a white marble sculpture brought to life, although an imperfect one. Deathly pale, the youth had two pairs of very nasty-looking facial scars, one pair running horizontal along his cheeks beneath the eyes, while the other pair ran over and under the eyes themselves, giving him a vaguely clownish appearance.

Tracing his fingers along the horizontal pair first, then the vertical pair, Redfield studied the marks curiously, then paused.

"What are you-"

Drawing back the youth's upper lip, Chris blinked in surprise to see sharp teeth with canines.

"Well," he said slowly, "I think it's safe to say he's one of our cannibal buddies."

"Jesus, look at those chompers!" Joseph muttered. "They're like a dog's! Or a wolf's!"

Pulling his hand away, Chris stared at the unconscious figure in bemusement.

"Who is this guy?" he wondered.

"According to his ID," Joseph spoke, handing him a thick black wallet, "his name is Jack Wolf, age 18. He's some sort of university student from Arkham, Louisiana."

Chris looked through the wallet curiously, studying its contents.

"Arkham?" he repeated.

Chris had heard all sorts of stories about that place. Originally located in Massachusetts, the town had relocated several times following the Depression before settling in Louisiana. Why was anyone's guess, although there were rumors that the area they resided in was the very spot that the notorious Cthulhu cult had haunted back in the 1920s. Figures that this guy would be from there.

"Long way from home," he mused.

"There's something else, Chris," Joseph said grimly. "I found this in his pocket."

Glancing up from the wallet, the Alpha Point Man froze. In Joseph's hand was a Samurai Edge, but he knew whose handgun it was.

"That's..."

"I know," the Omni Man nodded.

Looking back to the youth, Chris clenched his fists. Rolling him indelicately onto his back and handcuffed arms, the Alpha Point Man pocketed the youth's wallet and started to shake him by the shoulder.

"Hey!" Chris yelled. "Hey wake up!"

Chris slapped his face.

"I said wake up!"

The youth groaned. His eyes fluttered, then opened dazedly.

"What the fuck?" Joseph gasped.

Chris stared, his mouth gaping open in shock at the sight that stared up unsteadily at him. The whites of the albinio's eyes were strangely violet and luminescent, the irises slightly lighter in colour, but the pupils were what caught Redfield's attention; rather than being rounded, as was typical for a regular person, they were elliptical, reminding the Alpha of either a cat or snake.

"What is wrong with his eyes?" Joseph murmured to Chris, who could only shrug.

Wincing, the albino tried to push himself up.

"Wha? What's going on?" he said confusedly as he looked around. "Why can't I move my arms?"

"Relax, you're in handcuffs," Chris spoke.

Upon hearing his voice, Chris watched as the albino raised his head and opened his mouth to speak, then suddenly paused.

"Wait a minute," he said slowly, "...you're Chris Redfield."

Redfield blinked in surprise.

"You know me?"

"No," the youth answered, "but I read about you in the Latham Weekly. You're Alpha Team's Point Man."

He then looked over to Joseph.

"And you're Joseph Frost," he said excitedly, "Alpha Team's Vehicle Specialist!"

Chris and Joseph exchanged confused looks with each other.

"I think you might have hit him a little too hard, Chris," the latter said.

"If the two of you are here," the albino said slowly, "then...that means..."

As he trailed off, a look of alarm started to spread across the youth's face.

"Just figuring it out now, huh?" Joseph quipped. "Yeah. That's right. S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team is here, and we're going to kick the ever living shit out of your cultist buddies."

The youth blinked in confusion.

"'Cultist buddies'?" he repeated. Looking at them both questioningly, the albino's eyes widened in realization. "N-No! This isn't what it looks like!"

"Sure it isn't," Joseph retorted.

"I'm not a cultist!" the albino insisted. "This is a horrible misunderstanding!"

"Really?" Chris said lowly. "So it's just pure coincidence we find our friend dismembered at your feet?"

"Yes, that's right!"

The Alpha Point Man brought up Edward's gun. "Where did you get this? What happened to the man that owned this weapon?!"

"He died," the albino answered, "but-but I swear I had nothing to do with it!"

"Then why. Are. You. Carrying. His. Gun. For?!" Chris snapped threateningly.

The albino opened his mouth, then paused, his eyes widening in alarm at the girl lying on the floor.

"Rebecca!" Pushing himself up to his feet, he started toward her when Chris roughly grabbed him by the arm and shoved him down onto his knees. "Let me go, I need to see if she's alright!"

"She's fine," Chris answered, causing the youth to relax a little. "How do you know her?"

"We met last night on a train called the Ecliptic Express," the albino explained. "She saved my life multiple times."

Joseph raised a brow.

"She did, huh?" he said. "Then why did you try to rape her?"

Raising his head up to the Omni Man, the albino's eyes narrowed angrily at him. For a moment, Chris could have sworn that they glowed.

"How dare you accuse me of something so repulsive and disgusting!" he snarled, baring sharp teeth. "I'd never hurt her!"

"Then why is she unconscious on the floor?!" Joseph retorted. "Why is Kenneth dead?!"

"I don't know what happened to him," the youth said, "but you have to believe me, I had nothing to do with either!"

"You lying sack of shit," the Omni Man growled. "You know what I think we should do, Chris? I think a little payback is in order."

The albino looked up fearfully.

"Joseph, back off." Chris warned.

"I'm dead serious, Chris," the Omni Man seethed. "I say we get medieval on these fuckers. You hear me, freak?! Med-fucking-ieval! I am talking Old Testament wrath-of-God-styled retribution!"

"No!" the youth pleaded.

"Yeah! Oh yeah!" Joseph sneered. "How'd you like that?! You killed our friends, and now you bastards are gonna FUCKING PAY!"

Yelling the last part, Joseph slammed the butt of his Mossberg into the side of the albino's head, causing him to cry out as he was knocked to the floor. Chris grabbed him by the arm.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" he snapped angrily.

"He killed Kenneth, Kevin and Edward, Chris!"

"I know that!"

The albino struggled to get up.

"You're making a mistake!" he said as he sat up. "Please! Listen what I have to say-"

The youth's pleas were abruptly cut off as Frost lunged forward, slamming the butt of his shotgun into the side of his head again, knocking him out.

Chris checked his pulse. Looking up to Frost, he gave the Omni Man a heated glare.

"What the fuck were you thinking?!" he yelled. "He was trying to tell us something, and now he's knocked out cold!"

"Like he'd tell us the truth!"

"You didn't even give him a chance!" Chris snapped. "If we had gotten him back to the Captain, we'd have no problems extracting the information out of him! Christ, you didn't even read him his Miranda rights, dumbass!"

Joseph froze, considering his words.

"...Shit," he muttered, looking up at Chris apologetically. "I...I'm sorry, Chris. I just...I just lost it." He looked nervously at him. "...Let's keep this between us, okay?"

Chris frowned.

"Joseph-"

"Please, Chris. I'm begging you."

The Alpha Point Man was quiet for a moment.

"Alright," he said, "but if you pull this shit again, I will report you to the Captain!"

"It won't happen again," Joseph promised.

"It better not," Chris said warningly. "I'll raise the Captain and inform him of our situation."

Raising his radio, the Alpha Point Man pressed the send button. "Captain, are you there? Over."

No response.

"Captain, are you there? Please respond. Over."

Nothing.

Chris frowned. "I'm not getting anything. Let's regroup with the others back at the entrance. I'll carry the rookie. You take him."

"Okay, got it."

Approaching the unconscious girl, the Alpha Point Man scooped her up his arms as carefully as he could, surprised by how light she was. She couldn't have weighed more than ninety pounds. Joseph grunted as he hefted up the albino by the waist, partially dragging the giant's feet.

"Goddamn this guy is heavy!" he muttered under his breath. "He looks so skinny, but he weighs a ton!"

"Quit your bitching." Chris retorted. "Let's get out of here."


	3. Chapter Two: Awakening

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Two: Awakening**

When Chris and Joseph got back to the entrance, they found it empty.

"The hell?" the former muttered. "Captain? Barry? Jill?"

"Where did they go?" Frost asked.

"Good question," Chris said as he lowered the girl down carefully, leaning her back against a column.

"Uh Chris? Could you help me with this guy please?" the Omni Man begged.

Moving to Joseph's side, Chris helped grab hold of the albino.

"Jesus, how much does this guy weigh?!" the Point Man said with grit teeth.

The duo grunted with exertion as they carefully placed the giant down to a column beside the stairs. Straightening himself up, Chris wiped his forehead and rolled his sore shoulder, producing an audible crack.

"Woo!" he sighed. Raising his radio, he clicked the transmit button. "Captain are you there? Captain?"

After several attempts at hailing the Team Captain, Redfield lowered it, growling in annoyance.

"Fucking Irons," he muttered. "Where did he get these shitty things from, the cheap discount section from RadioShack?"

"No," Joseph shook his head, "probably the dumpster outside of it."

A creak from the other end drew the Alphas' attention. Drawing up their weapons, Chris paused, then lowered his upon seeing who it was. Emerging from a pair of double doors at the opposite side were Jill and Barry as they escorted a bald pale man wearing green clothes with a thick red silky cloth entirely wrapped around his mouth, his arms cuffed behind his back.

"Stop struggling!" Barry grunted as the man flailed about, the Weapon Supplier massaging his rear end.

"Good to see you two," the Alpha Point Man nodded.

"Same," Jill said.

"Where's Captain Wesker?"

"He's not with you?" She asked.

"No I thought he was with you."

The B&E specialist frowned. "He said that he was going to stay behind to secure this area. I wonder where he went?"

"Who's this?" Joseph asked, pointing to gagged man.

"We found him in a hallway eating some guy," Barry said moodily. "Crazy bastard tried to take a bite out of us. Safe to say he's one of our cultists."

"You okay, Barry?" Chris asked. "You seem to be in a bad mood."

"You would be too if some shithead literally bit you on the ass!"

_"He bit you on the ass?!"_ the Point Man repeated in shock.

"Yeah!"

Joseph laughed. "Fuck off! You're serious?!"

"Yeah!"

"Why would he do that?"

"I don't know!" Barry retorted. "Apparently he thought my rump was a Big Mac!"

He grunted.

"Stand fucking still!" he snapped at the prisoner. The man ignored him, continuing to flail about. Looking back to his coworkers, he continued, "The guy must be loaded up on something - tasers didn't work for shit."

Redfield looked at him in surprise.

"Tasers didn't affect him?"

"Yeah. Probably some real hardcore drugs." Barry hypothesized. The man struggled. Letting out an annoyed growl, the Weapons Supplier slammed the butt of his Colt Anaconda into the back of the guy's head, causing him to stop moving.

"Jesus," he muttered. "Fucking finally!"

He and Jill lowered the unconscious man to the floor, then straightened themselves back up.

"Are you bleeding?" Chris asked.

"No, I'm fine!" Barry answered as he massaged his sore rear. "His teeth didn't break through either the skin or the fabric of my pants, but hoo boy does it sting! It's going to leave one hell of a mark in the morning!"

Jill eyed the figures leaning against the columns.

"I see you two have been busy as well," she pointed. "Is that the new girl?"

"Yup," Joseph answered.

She turned her head to the albino.

"And is that-"

"Yup," he nodded. "Another cultist. Probably one of the big dogs, if the coat is anything to go by. When we found him he had just finished butchering Kenneth."

She stared in shock.

"What?!"

"Yeah, completely dismembered him," the Omni Man said. "He also killed Edward as well and was moments away from doing the same thing to her."

Barry narrowed his eyes angrily at the red-clad figure.

"Bastard!" he growled.

Jill closed her eyes.

"Poor guys," she murmured.

Chris nodded. "I know."

* * *

Jill couldn't believe it.

Three of her coworkers...dead? Part of her wanted it to be some sort of joke, if only to assure herself that it wasn't true. No more than twenty-four hours ago she had been joking with these same guys, but now...

Lifting her eyes, Jill turned her attention to the figure in red. Gigantic in height, what struck her the most, outside of his horrific cross-shaped facial scars, long pointed ears, pale skin and silver hair, was his youthful appearance. Stepping toward him, Jill approached the unconscious figure, intrigued as she kneeled down to examine him.

"Who is this guy?" she asked.

"ID from his wallet says that his name is Jack Wolf," Joseph said. "Age eighteen. University student from Arkham, Louisiana."

Leaning forward, Jill studied the young man, running her fingers along the cuts on his cheeks and brows as she turned his face from side to side.

"Nasty-looking scars," she commented. "Look pretty old. I take it was you that gave him the bruise, Chris?"

"Well," the Alpha Point Man said as he massaged the back of his head, "...yeah. Frost and I both had."

As Jill studied the albino, she felt this nagging feeling at the back of her mind. For a brief moment, the B&E specialist was given the impression that she was looking at something..._inhuman_. Like he was some sort of creature wearing human skin...

She frowned.

_'You're imagining things, Jill,'_ she told herself.

And yet...that feeling remained. Jill eyed the bruise and the scars.

"Shame," she commented. "He looks pretty cute."

Joseph laughed.

"I didn't realize you have a thing for pasty psychos, Jill," he teased.

She scoffed.

"No, just saying," Jill replied, then looked over at the girl. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine, just unconscious," Chris said.

Jill stood up and went over to her. "We should wake her up and ask what happened, see what we're up against. We still need to find the rest of Bravo, plus the Captain."

"Agreed." Approaching the girl, Redfield kneeled down gently shook her by the shoulder.

"Hey! Hey rookie, are you okay?" he called.

The girl's eyes fluttered open as she groaned, revealing green eyes.

"Wha…" she trailed off. "Who-"

"Shh, it's okay," Chris spoke softly. "We're Alpha Team. I'm Chris Redfield. This is Joseph Frost."

Joseph gave the peace sign, smiling. "Hey there."

"I'm Jill," the B&E specialist spoke up. "What's your name?"

The girl inhaled.

"Rebecca," she spoke, massaging her temples. "Rebecca Chambers. I'm Bravo Team's medic."

Jill nodded. "You're the newbie, right?"

She nodded back.

"First day on the job," she replied, swallowing.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Rebecca," the Point Man smiled. "Now, just relax. Could you look up at me please?"

Taking out a small flashlight from his pocket, he checked her pupils, shining it on her eyes.

"Pupils look normal," he said. Putting the light away, he raised up his hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Five," she answered.

He folded three fingers down.

"Two."

He folded down his thumb.

"Four."

"Does anything hurt?" Jill asked concernedly.

She groaned.

"The back of my head," she answered. Tilting her head to the side, the girl's eyes suddenly widened with worry. "STAR!"

"Huh?" Chris said confusedly. "Who's-"

Pushing herself away from the column, Jill watched in surprise as Rebecca moved toward the unconscious albino.

"Star? Star?" she called. The Bravo medic then studied his face. "Oh god..."

"Why do you call him that?" Jill asked.

"That's his name," Rebecca answered.

"But his wallet says it's Jack Wolf-"

"That's his adopted name," she clarified. "His real name is Star."

Joseph smirked.

"'Star'?" he repeated. "Sounds like a stripper name."

Rebecca looked up at them.

"What happened?" she asked.

"He and his cultist buddies attacked you," Chris said.

Rebecca blinked.

"Cultist-?" she repeated. "It's not cultists that are responsible-"

"Rebecca, we know for a fact that they are," Jill said slowly. "We saw what they did to Kevin. Barry and I also found a statue of the demon that they worship."

"Kevin?" the Bravo repeated. "Statue? What-"

"We also know that Wolf killed Edward and that civilian in the dining room," the B&E specialist continued, interrupting her. "Look, you've been through a lot these last couple of hours, but you don't have to worry, Rebecca - he's not going to hurt you. Not anymore."

"You've got it all wrong!" Rebecca exclaimed. "Star didn't kill Edward, nor did he kill Kevin!"

"Well he definitely killed the civilian in the dining room! He definitely killed Kenneth!" Joseph retorted. "And he was just about to do the same to you. We got there before he could finish the job."

The girl looked at them carefully. "Are you sure that's what you saw?"

"I have fucking eyes!" the Omni Man snapped. "I saw that pasty bastard kneeling down over you!"

"Joseph, shut up!" Jill said. She looked back to Rebecca, "Listen, I know this is all confusing-"

"This isn't the work of cultists!" the medic said. "Please, listen to what I have to say! Umbrella is the one responsible!"

The Alphas looked at each other in puzzlement.

"Umbrella?" Jill said, confused. "You mean the pharmaceutical company?"

Rebecca nodded. "Yes. The cannibal murders aren't part of any cult - they're the result of a viral infection."

Chris blinked.

"A viral infection?" he said doubtfully.

"Yes! A viral infection with similar symptoms to rabies! Umbrella has been conducting illegal experiments here in the mountains for the purposes of creating a weapon, and now thanks to carelessness and sabotage, it's spilled out into the forest!"

The Alphas stared at her. Chris leaned forward, looking at the medic.

"Did he slip you anything?" he asked.

"No!" Rebecca said exasperatedly. "Star_ saved_ my life! It wasn't_ him_ that knocked me out, it was Kenneth! Kenneth was a spy for Umbrella!"

The albino groaned. Jill watched as the medic turned to face him.

"Star? Star?"

The youth's eyes fluttered, wincing open in pain.

"What the hell?" Barry muttered.

"Oh my god!" Jill gasped.

Squinting up at them dazedly were a pair of violet-colored eyes with slit pupils.

"Star, are you okay?" Rebecca asked in concern.

Hearing her voice, the albino looked over at her and gave a small smile.

"You're alright," he said quietly in relief, wincing. Closing his eyes, he swallowed and leaned forward.

"Easy," she said gently. "Just relax, I think you might have a concussion."

"Probably," he agreed. "I have one hell of a headache right now. You don't happen to have any Tylenol, would you?"

"I do," she said as she took out a bottle from her pants pocket and emptied one out into the palm of her hand, offering it to him. Taking it into his mouth, the albino swallowed, then leaned back, sighing as he did so.

"Can you get me out of these, please?" he winced.

"The cuffs stay on," Jill said, stopping Rebecca in her tracks.

Hearing her voice, the albino turned his head questioningly in the B&E specialist's direction, then froze.

"You're Jill Valentine," he said in surprise. Before she could say anything, he turned his head over to Barry. "And you're Barry Burton!"

Barry eyed him warily. "Uhh, yeah. So what of it?"

The youth raised himself up from the floor, causing everyone save for Rebecca to reach for their weapons.

_'Jesus he's tall!'_ Jill thought as she watched him reach his full height. And he was just a kid! Looking at his figure, the B&E specialist studied him curiously. A strange mixture of delicacy and strength, kind of like a greyhound, the youth had a wiry though lean frame with broad sloped shoulders. With his red coat, his arms folded behind him and his strange eyes, he looked like a bird of prey or like a snake, a cobra.

The albino arched his back as he stretched, stumbling for a moment.

"Easy, Star," Rebecca warned as she moved to his side, grabbing his upper arm. "Easy. You shouldn't be on your feet."

"I'll be alright," he assured, pulling away as he looked excitedly around. "Captain Wesker? Captain Wesker? Captain Wesker?! Captain Wesker?"

Jill watched the youth as he called, somewhat bemused by the change in demeanor. He almost seemed like a giant puppy wagging its tail around at the sight of its owner, the corners of his mouth pulled back into a small smile, his eyes lit up.

"What's with him?" Barry said in confusion.

Rebecca giggled, her expression one that said "I know something you don't!".

Dropping the smile, the albino looked at them all.

"Where's Captain Wesker?" he asked.

"We don't know," Chris said.

"What's it to you?" Joseph asked. "What, are you the Captain's secret gay elf lover or something?"

The albino glared at him.

"Don't be disgusting!" he retorted.

"Then what are you to him?" Jill asked.

He opened his mouth, then stopped, looking down uncomfortably.

"Well?" she said expectantly.

Rebecca looked to the red-clad figure.

"Tell them." she encouraged.

He sighed.

"I can't," he said quietly. "It's too personal, plus I don't even know if it's true or not."

She nodded understandingly.

"Ah!" The albino's eyes widened with a start, a look of alarm on his face. "We have to find Captain Wesker! He has to be warned!"

"About what?" Jill asked.

"About Umbrella!" he said excitedly.

She frowned.

"We already heard this story-"

"No, you don't understand!" the albino interrupted. "Officer Sullivan said that Umbrella has plans for S.T.A.R.S.!"

"Plans for S.T.A.R.S.?!" Rebecca repeated, stepping toward him. "Are you sure that's what he said?"

"Yes!" he nodded. "I think they intend on using you all for their sick experiments!"

Frost frowned.

"Why are we listening to these two for?" he asked. "It's obvious they're both under the influence."

"Are they?" Chris asked uncertainly.

"Come on!" the Omni Man retorted. "Of course they are! Since when does a disease produce winged dogs?"

Rebecca and the albino stared in his direction, blinking bemusedly as if wondering if they had misheard.

"Uh, I'm sorry, but did you say...winged...dogs?" the latter said.

"You heard me," Frost said icily. "You and your buddies went all out with the costumes. Making dogs that looked skinned, dressing some of them up in scales with bat wings. Very creative stuff! Pretty scary."

The red-clad figure shook his head.

"I'm entirely ignorant of these "winged dogs"," he replied.

"What about the statue?" Jill said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on, don't play dumb with us, kid!" Barry said irritably. "It just so happens that this "secret lab" has a statue of the Devil tucked away?"

The albino's brows knitted together.

"Statue of the Devil-" he froze. "...What does this statue look like?"

"Tall," Jill said, "with wires and hoses on parts of its arms and legs with chrome steel horns."

The two teenagers exchanged worried looks with one another.

"Show me," Rebecca said seriously.

Jill pointed to the double doors behind her.

"It's through here," she said.

Turning around, she guided the girl back through the exhibition room to the storage space. Once she was inside, she paused.

"Wha-"

The statue was gone.

"It was here a couple of minutes ago," Jill said as she scratched her head.

Looking to Rebecca, she watched as the girl trembled furiously.

"Rebecca?" she called. "Rebecca are you okay?"

The girl didn't answer. Instead she was glancing about fearfully, tilting her from side to side, listening and looking around conspiratorially.

"Rebecca?"

The medic swallowed slowly.

"We have to get out of here," she said, her voice a hushed whisper.

Turning around, Jill followed after the girl as she quickly scampered back into the hallway.

"Well?" Chris asked expectantly.

"It's gone," Jill said.

Rebecca hurried over to the albino and whispered something in his ear, causing him to pale even further.

"Gone?" Barry repeated.

"Yeah, someone must have snuck in and took it while we were detaining the suspect."

As if on cue, the man let out a muffled moan as he stirred on the floor, drawing everyone's attention. Jill watched as the medic exchanged worried looks with the albino, then back to her.

"Who is that?" Rebecca asked.

"John Doe," Jill replied. "Another cultist."

Rebecca stared at the figure.

"Did he attack you?"

"Yup," Barry acknowledged. "Little bastard tried to chomp my rump."

"Did he draw blood?" Rebecca asked concernedly.

"Nah," Barry waved. "I'm fine. Didn't break the fabric or the skin."

"Could I have my weapon back please?"

Jill looked at her.

"Why?" she asked.

"He's infected," the medic said, her eyes fixed on the figure in green. "If he cuts or bites you he'll transmit the disease. He has to die."

The Alphas exchanged confused looks with each other, murmuring amongst themselves.

"Rebecca, we're not going to kill this guy," Jill said.

"He's not a 'guy', Jill!" Rebecca said. "Not anymore! He's a zombie!"

The B&E specialist stared.

"...A zombie," she repeated.

"Yes! Look," Rebecca said slowly, "I know this is all hard to believe, but you've got to listen to me - he has to die! Look at him! Look at his skin - it's rotting! Can't you see that?!"

The man moaned as he writhed on the floor. As he looked up at Jill, the Alpha suddenly felt revolted and afraid. His eyes were pale with whited out irises, his eye sockets sunken in. And his skin...

For a moment, Rebecca was starting to make sense.

The Bravo medic frowned.

"For god's sakes," she muttered, then tried to grab for Jill's weapon.

"Hey!" Jill yelled as she quickly spun the medic around and put her into an armlock, causing the younger girl to cry out.

"Don't hurt her! Please!" The albino pled as Chris restrained him.

"This is for your own good, Rebecca," Jill said as she took out the handcuffs.

The man crawled up to his feet, moaning. Barry approached and grabbed the suspect.

"Settle down!" he growled.

"Check his pulse!" Rebecca said.

Chris frowned. "Rebecca-"

"Check his pulse!" she pleaded. "Please!"

Jill sighed, then nodded over to Barry. The Weapons Supplier frowned.

"Jill-"

"Just do it," she said.

Letting out a huff, the heavy-set man placed two fingers on the struggling man's neck, then paused.

"...What the hell?" he muttered.

He continued feeling around.

"What's wrong, Barry?" Chris asked.

Barry stared at the writhing figure in his hands. "I'm not feeling anything!"

"Bullshit!" Joseph swore. "You missed the vein!"

"Come here and feel for yourself!" he snapped. "I know how to count!"

The Omni Man sighed as he stomped over to Barry, putting up two fingers. Joseph's brows knitted together in confusion.

"What the fuck...?" he said. "The guy has no pulse!"

"I told you!" Barry scolded.

"But...that's impossible," he replied, looking to the struggling man. "His skin is cold and there's no pulse! How...how is he still moving?"

"I told you!" Rebecca exclaimed. "He's a zombie! Umbrella made a virus that turns people and animals into monsters and you're touching one of them!"

Jill stared open-mouthed, her mind overwhelmed.

"Barry let me see," she said. "Hold onto her and let me see."

Barry changed places with her.

_'It couldn't be true! Barry and Joseph made a mistake, that's all! A simple mistake! Poor kid is just confused! That freak in the red coat must have given her a large dose of some powerful drugs! Or maybe he slipped some to this guy, which explains the condition of his skin!'_

Reaching up shakily, Jill felt around for a vein. The skin felt cold and clammy, reminding her unpleasantly of a chicken that had been left in a refrigerator.

"This-this is crazy!" she said uneasily. "How is this even possible?!"

There was no pulse whatsoever! She waited for five whole minutes, and not a single damn beat!

"Chris," Jill said, turning to the Point Man, "he has no pulse!"

"Now do you believe us?!" Rebecca demanded. "Shoot it!"

The man started to gurgle, causing the red cloth to darken around his mouth. Steam rose as the fabric started to dissolve.

"What the fuck?!" Joseph swore.

Twisting around to face the Omni Man with a moan, the man lunged, snapping his jaws through a small hole.

"GET HIM OFF ME!" Joseph yelled as he held him back. "GET HIM OFF!"

Barry slammed the butt of his gun into the guy's head, bludgeoning him over and over.

"What the fuck?! Why won't this guy go down?!" he yelled.

Delivering a fifth blow to the head, Barry backed away as the man lunged at him, knocking him down to the floor, causing him to discharge his weapon accidentally into his chest. The Alphas stared.

"He's still going?!" Chris said disbelievingly.

"GET HIM OFF!" Barry yelled as he pushed at the guy's chest.

Moving to his side, the Alpha Point Man grabbed hold of the man and pulled him off, pushing him away as he drew up his weapon.

"Back off, man, or I will fire!" he warned.

The man stumbled drunkenly toward him. Chris fired, shooting him in the chest. Nothing.

Jill stared.

"What...the..." she murmured.

"Shoot it in the head!" Rebecca said. "Body shots are useless! You have to destroy its brain!"

The man moaned as he approached Chris.

Chris fired again, this time hitting it directly in the face. It still kept coming.

"What in the world?" the albino gasped.

Chris fired a second, then then a third, fourth, fifth and sixth shot. Seven shots later, it finally fell to the floor with a thump. Jill stared, her heart thumping in her ears.

"What was that?" she spoke, her voice a strangled parody of itself.

"I told you!" Rebecca said. "Umbrella has been making viral weapons! Now will you listen and get us out of these cuffs?!"

Upon hearing that, Jill hurried over to Rebecca, taking out her handcuff keys. Once she uncuffed her, the medic rubbed her wrists.

"I'm sorry, Rebecca," she apologised.

Rebecca nodded, then pointed to the albino.

"Now Star."

Chris frowned.

"Rebecca-"

"He is on our side, Chris," she said. "He saved my life."

"Even so, he killed Kenneth!" Joseph said pointedly.

The albino looked at him.

"I swear on my life that I haven't," he replied. "As hard as it is to believe, I had nothing to do with what happened to him. I give you my word."

Frost scowled.

"Your word!" he repeated mockingly. "Then what did happen?"

He opened his mouth, then looked away.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," he said quietly. "Look, if you want to keep me handcuffed, fine, but please, you have to find and warn Captain Wesker!"

"Why do you care?"

The teenager in red looked conflictedly at the group.

"Go on, Star," Rebecca encouraged. "Tell them."

"Tell us what?" Chris demanded.

The albino stood there for a moment, then took in a deep breath.

"I..." he said slowly, hesitating. Exhaling, he frowned.

"Am Captain Wesker's son," Rebecca finished.

The Alphas were still for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"That's really funny, Rebecca!" Jill said through her chuckles.

"I like her!" Barry howled. "Who'd have guessed the rookie has a sense of humor!"

"Nice joke, rookie!" Chris laughed heartily.

As she continued to laugh, Jill noticed the two teenagers looking at them. Neither were laughing.

"...I am." Star spoke, causing their laughter to cease in stunned silence.

Joseph blinked.

"Wait, what?" he said. "You're serious?"

Rebecca nodded. "He is."

Jill stared, her jaw dropping to the floor. Chris looked like a fish out of water, his mouth forming a perfect open 'o'.

"Ummm," the figure in red said uncertainly, then gave a sheepish expression, "...surprise?"

The room was quiet for several minutes.

"Holy shitballs!" Barry said in a low voice.

* * *

Richard Aiken opened his eyes, wincing at the bright light.

Looking to the bed and around the room, Aiken was surprised to find himself all alone.

"Hello?" he called.

Nothing.

"Guys?"

Where did they go?


	4. Chapter Three: Reassembly

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Three: Reassembly**

Chris stared at the teenagers, his mind reeling from the albino's admission.

"You're...Wesker's..._son_?!" he said, unsure if he heard correctly. Even saying it felt..._wrong_! Could anything sound more..._.bizarre_?! The idea of Wesker having a _kid_...it was so foreign to the Alpha Point Man.

"Yes," the youth replied, "I am."

"Wesker's...son?" he repeated.

"You already heard me, Officer."

"But...you don't look at all like the Captain!" Barry said.

"It's possible certain traits have been inherited from my biological mother," he said, then looked at them. "Have any of you seen his eyes?"

Chris opened his mouth to respond, trying to say something to counter such an impossible idea...only he couldn't. It was a known fact that Wesker wore sunglasses day and night, never once taking them off. Joseph had once joked that the Captain probably wore them when he was in the shower. Noone in the Department knew why that was. Nobody had ever seen his eyes; in fact, it was a stuff of rumors. Redfield heard all sorts of crazy stuff, from facial scars and burns to cybernetic implants and tentacles. One guy had half jokingly suggested that the Captain was like Cyclops from the X-Men, that his eyes secretly fired laser beams. It never occurred to him, to anyone for that matter, that Wesker had an eye deformity.

Barry shook his head in reply.

"No," Jill said, shaking hers, although Chris wasn't sure if it was in answering the question or if it was denial.

Joseph didn't even answer; he was staring fixedly at the figure in red, his visage ashen, haunted and withdrawn.

"Tell me that this is a joke," Chris said. "Tell me that you're not-"

"He's Wesker's kid, Redfield!" Joseph interrupted. "Think about it - we were chased by _winged dogs! _If _that's_ not an omen, then I don't know what is!"

Redfield winced.

"Oh my god," he said in realization.

"I assure you that that was pure coincidence," the albino replied.

The Alpha Point Man reached up to hold his forehead. Ohhhh boy oh boy oh boy, he was getting a _very_ strong migraine.

"I need to sit down," he said dazedly.

"Chris?" Jill said worriedly as she went to his side.

"Oh god the room is spinning."

"Just sit down next to the column, Chris," she said as she guided him gently down. "Massage your forehead, deep slow breaths."

Chris followed her instructions, breathing slowly.

"The Captain is gonna kill me, Jill!" he said nervously. "I punched his kid in the face!"

"You and me both!" Joseph lamented. "We're so screwed!"

"You can worry about that later," Rebecca spoke up. "Right now our first concern is-"

She paused.

"Wait..." she said slowly, "...where's Richard?"

* * *

Richard looked around.

"Hello?" he called. "Rebecca? Wolf?"

Nothing.

Aiken frowned.

Where the hell did they disappear to?

Picking up the radio, he pressed the transmit button.

* * *

"Rebecca, are you there? Over."

Rebecca raised her radio.

"Rebecca here, over," she spoke into the receiver.

"Where are you?"

"Star and I are at the front hall entrance with Alpha Team," she replied.

"Alpha Team is here? Thank God!" he said with relief. "Now we can-"

He halted as a maniacal laugh rose up in the background.

"Oh shit," he whispered.

* * *

The moment he heard the laugh, the hair on Aiken's arms stood up on end.

"I need to go on radio silence," he said quietly. "I have company."

_'How the hell did he find me?!'_ the communications specialist thought worriedly.

He had been positive that he had lost him! Of all the things to go wrong-

_'This is bullshit!'_

He listened to the footsteps as they clunked around upstairs, slowly and deliberately. Ejecting the ammo clip in his pistol, Aiken checked to see how much he had.

Empty. Looking around the room, Aiken scrambled desperately for something! A box of ammunition, a weapon of some kind, anything! The footsteps were drawing nearer, edging toward the stairs. Grabbing Rebecca's bag, he emptied it onto the bed, sifting through its contents. Finding nothing that looked useful, he then opened Wolf's suitcases, pulling out clothes and books.

_'Come on, give me something!'_ he thought desperately. _'Let there be a weapon of some kind!'_

Nothing! Just an assortment of crap!

Repressing the urge to shout at the top of his lungs, Aiken turned his head to the door, listening. His pursuer was now on the same level as him. Looking to the bed, the Communications specialist ducked down and crawled below, hiding underneath, his eyes focused on the door.

Floorboards creaked as they drew closer. Aiken wanted desperately to throw up, his whole body trembling and on edge. There came a low grating chuckle, like a pair of ice cubes being grinded together, and as it drew nearer, the more it built up, rising and falling in hideous hysterical cycles, sometimes ending in demented sobs.

_'God, that laugh!'_ Aiken thought as he cringed and tried to cover his ears. He would rather be on the train again with that psychotic bitch with the chainsaws or the giant scorpion than deal with this thing!

The door handle turned. As it opened, the figure emerged into the light, the awful smell of its body filling the room, stinging Aiken's eyes. Dressed in a filthy purple and grey flannel shirt with blue jeans, the zombie had long dirty blonde hair and blue skin, his forehead and parts of his withdrawn face stained with blood, making it look as if it was torn. Pale sunken white eyes devoid of sclera or pupils sat lifelessly in his ugly head, its mouth and lips stretched into an awful-looking sneer as it continued to laugh, its fingers fastened around an axe.

_'Jesus Christ, that smell!'_ Aiken winced.

Nothing could even come close to describing the awful pungent odor of the damn thing! Guys back at the Station used to tell him about some of the smelliest foods and fruits they had, the worst being Durian fruit and surstromming, and he had the displeasure of smelling both. Smelling this guy actually made those two disgusting foods seem like roses in comparison! He'd rather put his face up to a freshly-made dog turd than smell this fucking guy!

_'I am not going to throw up,'_ he willed himself, closing his eyes. _'I am not going to throw up.'_

The zombie looked around the room, carefully. Aiken waited as it scanned its surroundings, the veins in his head pounding. Gripping the axe, the creature slowly moved toward the bed, causing Aiken's heart to rise.

_'It doesn't know I'm here,'_ he thought to himself._ 'It doesn't-'_

It stopped just in front of the bed.

Aiken didn't move, let alone breathe. He could see its filthy shoes and pants up close now. There were..._things_...crawling along its legs and feet. Even worse, there was unmistakably what looked and smelled like human shit, layers upon layers upon layers, a mixture of old and fresh, as if the disgusting fucker had been shitting himself for years.

_'Don't think about it,'_ he told himself. _'Don't think about it. If you do, you'll blow your cov-'_

Aiken jerked his head to the side as the axe came down onto the mattress, narrowly missing him as it maniacally laughed.

It knew! It knew he was hiding down there, it was just fucking with him!

The creature struggled to pull its axe out from the mattress. Taking that as his cue, Aiken propelled himself out from beneath the bed, sliding along the floor toward the door. Scrambling to his feet, he ran as fast as he could up the stairs, his pursuer following behind.

* * *

"HELP! HELP!" Aiken's voice yelled, his words mixing with the maniacal laugh.

"Richard needs help!" Rebecca said worriedly. "This way!"

Following her up the stairs, the survivors readied their weapons as they turned left. As they entered the dining room, Richard emerged from a door at the end, chased by a zombie with an axe close behind.

"SHOOT IT!" He yelled. "Shoot it!"

Jill, Barry and Chris fired, their shots hitting its arms, legs, torso and head, but no matter how many shots were fired, the crazed bastard wouldn't fall. Rebecca watched as the axe swung, nearly scraping Aiken's orange vest as it struck into a section of railing.

Barry fired his Colt Anaconda, the round striking it dead in the eye, knocking the creature back into the wall. Pushing itself back up, the zombie looked in their direction. Rebecca gasped.

"Wha?" Star said uncomprehendingly.

Half of its head was already missing. Rebecca could see the gaping hole in its head along with the exposed bone and brain matter oozing out...and yet...the creature kept moving, reaching for its axe.

"Richard move out of the way!" Joseph yelled as he raised his Mossberg.

Once Aiken cleared away, he fired. One round tore off the creature's arm. Cocking the weapon again, he fired a second time. Another arm came off, leaving the creature armless. Letting out angered roar, the zombie charged forward after Aiken. Aiming down the barrel, Joseph smirked.

"Good night, sweet prince," he said before pulling the trigger.

The creature's head exploded, knocking it off balance.

Aiken sighed in relief.

"Thanks guys!" he waved.

Joseph saluted him.

"Ah! It's not dead!" Star exclaimed.

"What?!" Aiken yelled.

Rebecca stared in horror as the headless torso rose back up from the floor.

"Are you kidding me?!" Joseph said in disbelief.

"It must be reflex actions," Rebecca tried to assure, but she herself was having trouble believing that. "It will fall eventually."

The torso walked forward, navigating its way around the railing.

"Reflex action my ass!" Barry swore as he raised his weapon and fired. Round after round penetrated the creature's strange flesh. Chris fired, then Jill, then Joseph. The Alphas kept firing until the thing had been reduced to pulped bloody meat. What was left staggered one more step, shivered, then collapsed onto a railing, falling down to the floor with a disgusting splat. After a few seconds of sporadic twitching, the mess at the bottom lay still, causing everyone in the room to breathe again.

"Stay fucking dead this time!" Joseph called over the railing.

As he turned away, Rebecca exchanged nervous glances with her coworkers and Star, then looked around at the mansion itself, wondering what else was in store for them.

* * *

Chris' mind reeled as he sat on the floor in the main hall, trying to process everything.

Two dead guys were walking around. One of them had barely anything left, and yet...it still kept on going!

_'What the hell is happening?!'_ he thought, overwhelmed by it all.

Once he and the others regrouped back into the main hall and recovered from that...experience, Rebecca filled them in on what was going on. The albino stood by uncuffed, his hood drawn up to conceal his silver hair.

Chris sighed, massaging his temples.

"I know, it's a lot to take in," Rebecca said.

"No kidding," Jill replied.

"So, let me get this straight," Joseph spoke up. "Umbrella has been conducting secret experiments on convicts and god knows who else they come across for years, for the purposes of creating a weapon. They kill their lead researcher, dump his body in a sewer along with his experimental leeches. Years pass and then through exposure to industrial waste, the leeches and t-Virus reawakens, and then poof, dead people come back to life!"

"That's the basic gist of it," she nodded.

"And on top of that," he continued, "they somehow use a pink lightning to summon up other creatures, all of them named after Tarot cards."

"Correct."

Joseph looked to the albino.

"And you wanted to join S.T.A.R.S. because not only do you that believe you're Wesker's kid, but also because you believe you're possibly connected with the cultists behind the Michelle Stevenson case...somehow, and that these same cultists are stalking and threatening you and your mother."

The youth nodded. "Yes."

"What makes you so sure it's them?"

He hesitated.

"Well...to be honest," he said uncertainly, "...I'm not. I _think_ I was born here, in this city. All I remember at the age of eight was that my name was Star and the name Raccoon City."

"Nothing else?" Jill asked.

He shook his head.

"Nothing else. I don't even know how I got these facial scars," he pointed, "...let alone all the...others."

Chris frowned. The Stevenson case. On August 27th, 1996, a cult of devil worshipers slaughtered 15-year-old Michelle Stevenson at the Raccoon City Park at quarter-to-midnight. The case that created a media uproar in Raccoon City and what had led to S.T.A.R.S.' creation in the first place. And this guy believes himself to be part of that?

The Alpha Point Man shook his head regretfully.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Wolf, but I'm afraid that's unlikely." he said.

"How come?" Rebecca asked.

He looked to Jill. She nodded, giving him the go ahead. Redfield exhaled.

"The Stevenson case was a massive clusterfuck from the get-go," he said truthfully. "A lot of the details were embellished, plus evidence had been heavily contaminated and mishandled. The RPD had fumbled the ball in other words. S.T.A.R.S. is essentially a dog and pony show, a publicity stunt for the Mayor's office. What evidence there was suggested that it had been a date rape made to look like a cult killing."

The albino lowered his eyes.

"...Does this mean you can't help me?" he asked quietly.

"We can try," Chris said, "but there's not a lot to go on. For all we know, your parents were just passing tourists and you just happened to see a pamphlet for Raccoon City along the way. I'm sorry there isn't more I can offer you."

The teenager sighed.

"Show them your back," Aiken said, causing the youth to wince.

Rebecca glared.

"Richard!" she scowled.

"Alpha Team has the most experience in these types of matters, Rebecca," the Communications specialist reasoned. "In all likelihood they probably have seen the symbol before...along with the...other...things..." He looked back to the albino. "Show them."

The youth stiffened.

"I will not," he said resolutely.

Aiken frowned. "Wolf-"

"You and Rebecca saw what was underneath," he interrupted. "_One_ pair of eyes is one too many."

"Do you want Alpha Team to help you or not?" Aiken said pointedly.

The youth froze, then looked uncertainly to Rebecca. She sighed, then gave a slow nod. Exhaling, the boy looked back to Chris and the others.

"Very well," he said in resignation.

Lowering his hood, he took off his coat, neatly folding it onto the floor, then started to unbutton his shirt. Drawing it open, the youth revealed a massive, horrific-looking scar on his chest, an angry set of laceration marks that ran from the right side of his neck and shoulder right down to the abdomen.

"Oh my god," Jill gasped.

Chris eyed the ugly wound with an open mouth.

As the boy pulled the rest of the shirt off, the Alpha Point Man watched with disturbed eyes as more was revealed. Around both shoulders, completely encircling the arms, were a set of stitch marks with black threads sticking out from the skin, making him look as if he had been sown back together. One shoulder and upper arm was bandaged, while his forearms were completely concealed within a pair of gauntlets.

"Jesus," Joseph breathed.

The boy stood there with an unreadable expression.

Turning around slowly, he showed his back to the Alphas, his face staring ahead, his eyes lowered to the floor.

"Oh god!" Jill raised a hand to her mouth.

Joseph turned around and vomited while Barry and Chris stared gobsmacked in horror. Branded angrily into the albino's back were dozens upon dozens of scars along with a symbol - six isosceles triangles surrounding a circle, forming what looked to be a stylized representation of the sun.

The youth stood there for several minutes not moving a muscle.

"Well?" Aiken said expectantly.

Once Chris recovered from the shock, he shook his head.

"I've never seen anything like it before," he answered.

"Me neither," Jill replied, overwhelmed.

"That counts for me as well," Barry added.

"And me," Joseph said as he wiped his mouth. "Fuck, I would have remembered something like that!"

The boy said nothing.

"How many scars do you have?" Jill asked.

"...Thirty-four," he said in a low voice. "I only know the causes of five of them. Four rattlesnakes bit my ankle when I was twelve."

"And the fifth one?" Rebecca asked.

He pointed to a small mark on the back of his right shoulder, not even bothering to look. "There. A boy named Ryan Engelhorn thought it was an appropriate place to stub his cigarette out when I was ten. The other marks...I don't know."

Jill turned her attention to the gauntlets that he wore. "Those gauntlets of yours...are your arms also-"

Rebecca and Aiken nodded, answering her question.

"I see..." she trailed off.

Chris eyed the carnage wrought on the boy's flesh. With the stitching around his arms and the marks on his back, the albino looked like a ruined sculpture. He had a nicely toned and lithe torso, to be sure, with some good musculature, but with his pale white skin, gigantic height and scars, he looked downright hideous.

"I see some fresh bruising on your back and chest," he noted.

"...Officer Sullivan's handiwork," the youth answered simply. "Some of it, anyway."

The S.T.A.R.S. members stared at the pale boy's body in silence.

Jill leaned toward Chris.

"Poor kid," she murmured quietly.

"I know," he nodded sympathetically.

"Christ, he looks like he had been put into a meat grinder," Joseph said a little too loudly.

"Joseph," the Alpha Point Man warningly hissed.

"What?" he said, then froze. "Oh."

The albino was still for several minutes.

"...Can I get my shirt back on now please?" the albino said, his voice and tone hushed and restrained.

Redfield nodded.

"Go ahead," he waved.

He watched as the youth hurriedly picked up his shirt and coat from the floor, moving toward the dining room.

"Star!" Rebecca called.

He disappeared into the other room without responding.

Rebecca followed after him, leaving the others in the hallway. Chris sighed.

"Nice one, dickhead," he scolded Joseph.

* * *

Rebecca watched as Star stared to the floor despondently.

"Star, are you okay?" she asked concernedly.

"...No," he answered simply, refusing to look at her.

The Bravo medic approached him slowly.

"It's okay, Star," she said gently.

The boy wiped his eyes without making a sound.

"I feel so humiliated," Star said quietly. "I didn't want to meet any of you like this. I didn't want any of you to see the hideous monster that I am."

"Don't say that!" Rebecca said.

"Well it's true," he said, anger and bitterness creeping into his voice. "I bet they're all back there right now there having a good laugh."

"No one is laughing at you!" Rebecca insisted.

Star stared ahead, unconvinced.

"No one is laughing at you," she assured. "They're just...shocked. I know it must have been hard for you, but you can trust them. They don't see you as a monster."

The medic put a comforting hand on his arm.

"_I_ don't see you as one."

The albino remained still, not saying a word. Taking in a deep breath, he lowered his eyes.

"...What if I am one of Umbrella's beasts?"

Rebecca shook her head.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I am serious," Star said. "Could it be possible that I am one of Umbrella's creations and the company has come to...collect?"

The medic shook her head again.

"No," she said, "it just means that the people responsible for doing this to you aren't connected with the Stevenson case. At least, as far as we know. Like I said back at the church, we can get you checked at the hospital and see if they find anything...but I am willing to bet everything I have you aren't one of their specimens."

The albino continued staring to the floor.

"Rebecca," he said hesitantly. "...If it turns out that I am...if I pose a threat to either you or your team...you have my permission to destroy me. I would rather die than let them use me against you."

Rebecca frowned.

"Look at me," she ordered.

Star turned around. Raising a hand up, she flicked him between the eyes.

"Don't be a dumbass," the medic chastised, then softened her features. "But in all seriousness, though...even if you're an alien from the planet Swalooo...we'll still try to help you."

She touched his arm. "You don't have to worry, Star. Everything will be okay."

Star regarded her for a moment, then gave a small nod and a tiny smile.

"Thank you."

Rebecca smiled back.

The two teenagers remained there for a moment, then the albino awkwardly looked around and cleared his throat.

"...Could you leave me alone here for a moment, Rebecca?" he said quietly. "...Just so that I can..."

She nodded, giving his upper arm a squeeze.

"Okay," Rebecca said. "If you need help or find yourself in trouble, don't hesitate to let me know. You can count on me, Star."

He stood quietly, then nodded. Turning around, Rebecca headed back to the main hall.

"Join us back in the main hall when you feel like you're ready, okay?"

"I will," he promised.

As the albino got dressed, Rebecca gave him one last concerned look, her eyes trailing along the scars on his back, then at the symbol as it seemingly shimmered in the light.

* * *

Curien stood in the dark amphitheater, looking up at the monitors all around him, fidgeting with an old silver pocket watch that had belonged to his father.

"How the hell are these goddamn things getting through?!" he said in frustration.

His subordinate, a tall figure in a hood that stood in the shadows, merely shook his head.

"We're still uncertain how, sir," he answered.

Adjusting his black sunglasses, the man in white stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Are there any more in the Infection zone that we have to worry about?"

"Not that we can detect, sir," the subordinate replied.

Curien's lips tightened into a grim line.

"I want the perimeter around here checked and secured," he ordered. "We cannot let any more bloody strays get through, otherwise the scenario and operation will be compromised. Whatever made their way to the other side must be found and exterminated."

* * *

Rebecca watched as the dining room door opened. Star returned back into the main hall, tying on the buckle of his coat.

"You okay, big guy?" Jill asked.

The albino nodded.

"My apologies for that," he said.

Chris waved it off.

"Don't be," he replied.

Joseph cleared his throat.

"Listen, about what I said," he began, causing Star to watch him warily, "...I'm sorry about that. I was just...caught off-guard. I didn't mean any offense."

Star regarded him for moment, then relaxed.

"Apology accepted," he nodded.

Barry clapped his hands together. "So...what do we do now?"

Chris considered the question.

"Find the rest of Bravo Team and the Captain," he said, "then get the hell out of here."

"Before we do that, though," Aiken spoke up, "we should get to the helicopter and load up on supplies."

Chris frowned.

"I'm afraid we can't," he said. "Our pilot bugged out. We're stranded here."

Aiken looked around worriedly.

"So...what do we do?" he asked.

Jill thought for a moment.

"Do either of you know if there's a phone or a radio around here?" she asked the teenagers.

The albino shrugged.

"According to a man named Gilman, the...one that you found in the dining room, there aren't any," he replied, "but given the fact that he lied about his being the owner of this place, it's possible there might be one around here...somewhere."

"Unless the people living here spent their time screaming out to each other from across the mansion, chances are good that there's an operating phone or radio around here," Joseph said.

Chris sighed.

"Okay," he started, "this is what we're going to do. We're going to search around, see if we can find phones or radios."

"Before we do that, though," Jill spoke up, "we should take stock of our inventory. What's our ammunition like?"

The Alpha Point Man checked his clip.

"I'm empty," he said.

Barry checked his Colt Anaconda.

"Five rounds, plus two clips for the pistol," he noted.

"Mind if I bum one off you, Barry?" Chris asked.

Barry nodded, tossing him a clip. Catching it with one hand, Chris looked to Jill.

"How about you, Jill?"

She checked hers.

"Four rounds."

Chris divided up the rounds, giving her eight rounds.

"Thanks," Jill nodded as they both reloaded.

"Any others?" Chris asked.

"I know that Officer Sullivan had loaded a fresh clip back into Rebecca's weapon," Star replied.

Joseph counted up the shells in his pocket.

"Four rounds for the shotgun, plus one clip for the pistol."

Aiken shook his head.

"I don't have anything." he looked over at Star. "Still have your swords with you?"

Rebecca watched as the Alphas looked questioningly at the albino.

"...Swords?" Jill repeated with a raised brow.

"Butterfly swords. I am a practitioner of Hung Gar and Wing Chun." He looked back to Aiken. "To answer your question, no, I don't have them with me anymore."

"Lost them, huh?" Aiken said.

The albino shifted uncomfortably.

Chris frowned.

"I'm not liking our odds," he said. "We had to unleash a shitload of ammo on just_ one_ of these damn things. I hate to imagine how a whole horde would compare."

Rebecca shivered. "So...what do you suggest we should do?"

The Alpha Point Man considered the question.

"We need to know more about what we're dealing with," he said. "Is there anything you can tell us about this...t-Virus?"

The small girl shifted nervously as attention was directed to her.

She began, "Well, from what we know and have seen so far, the disease seems to transmit itself through blood like rabies. Bites, scratches, or having an open wound left unattended could facilitate infection. As long as you haven't gotten anything into your eyes or mouth, you should be fine. If any of you have open injuries, be sure to let me see and treat them as soon as possible."

Rebecca looked to each person carefully.

"Now, with that said," she continued, "there's still a lot we don't know about the t-Virus. We don't know what symptoms to look out for. Also, we don't know if these Arcana creatures are 't-Virus'-enhanced or not. For now, though we should assume that any and all creatures encountered from here on are."

"How do we deal with them?" Jill asked.

"In the event that we encounter more, I recommend keeping them at a distance. The less chance of physical contact, the better our chances of getting out alive. Most zombies could be killed with a single shot to the brain."

Joseph frowned, turning his attention to the fallen zombie on the floor.

"If that's so," he said slowly, "then why was this guy such a pain in the ass to put down? Why did that other one keep moving?"

"What I want to know is why it was _laughing_," Richard spoke up. "All the others were your typical zombies, staggering and moaning, but _him_..."

He shuddered.

Rebecca shook her head.

"...I don't know," she said truthfully. "Best case scenario, maybe one or two of these zombies had a steel plate inserted into their head when they had been alive."

"Worst case scenario?" Chris asked.

Rebecca turned her attention to the fallen zombie on the floor.

"Possible mutation?" she suggested. "Perhaps prolonged exposure to the t-Virus results in thicker muscle and bone density? I don't know. I'd study them myself to see why, but...given the risk of contracting an infection..."

She trailed off.

Aiken tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"You know, we don't have to necessarily kill every zombie that we encounter," he said.

Rebecca looked at him curiously.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well," he began, "we could always disable them. You know, cut or shoot off their limbs or knees, thereby slowing them down."

Star stared, appalled.

"That's disgusting!" he exclaimed. "You are suggesting that we leave them writhing around in a heap on the floor?!"

"Uh, yeah," Aiken replied.

"It's inhumane! It's degrading!"

"Well what do you suggest then, Wolf?" he retorted. "We can't put every one of these things out of their misery now, can we?"

"We could always try distracting them."

"Uh, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, kid, but not all of us can do ventriloquism."

Chris and Jill looked at each other.

"Did you say...ventriloquism?" the latter asked.

Rebecca nodded.

"Yeah. Star can toss his voice around." She looked to the albino. "Show them."

Star sighed.

"Very well," he responded.

"Can anyone hear me?" A voice called from the top of the stairs close to Jill and Chris. The Alphas looked up, startled.

"Wha-"

"I'm over here."

"AHHHH! AH!" Joseph leapt into the air with a yell, turning around. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"Actually I'm here."

Chris froze stiff, his hair standing on end. There came a low grumbling from Barry's stomach, causing the heavy-set man to glance down.

"No, I'm kidding," the voice echoed. "I'm in here."

Rebecca laughed as Barry raised a brow and playfully slapped his belly.

"Oof!" the voice cried out. "How rude!"

There came a low trumpet sound. Rebecca frowned.

"Really, Star?" she said disapprovingly. "More fart jokes?"

Star looked at her.

"That wasn't me," he said earnestly.

Before she could respond, the smell came.

"Aw, wha- AW!" The medic cringed.

Barry laughed as everyone collectively groaned.

"Oh my god!" Chris coughed, covering his nose.

"EW!" Rebecca exclaimed as she pulled the collar of her shirt up.

"Barry that's disgusting!" Jill said, wincing.

"That smells worse than death!" Aiken said as he plugged his nose, waving his hand around in the air.

Joseph coughed.

"Jesus!"

Barry laughed, relishing their reactions.

Aiken groaned.

"Jesus, Barry," he coughed, "you really should cut back on those damn sandwiches."

"Or maybe we should stuff him with more," Joseph said. "I'm sure we could kill a zombie or two with this smell."

After five minutes, the air cleared, allowing the survivors to free their noses.

"That was disgusting," Rebecca groaned.

Barry looked in the albino's direction.

"Let that be a lesson, kid," he nodded. "Don't ever pull that ventriloquist shit on me."

Star frowned as he released his nose from his collar. "Duly noted."

"Even so, Barry," Chris spoke up, "it could come in handy."

"Perhaps when dealing with zombies further away or that are blocking our path," Jill said, "but what about the ones hidden around a nearby corner or the ones that are behind a door?"

"Its applications are somewhat limited," Star agreed, "plus you have to account for the acoustics of a given room, the conditions of one's vocals, and so on. And that's not even taking into consideration some of the other creatures and determining whether or not they themselves would fall for it. Plus, there's always the possibility of my unintentionally drawing some unwanted attention of some creature or zombie hidden around somewhere."

"So where does that leave us?" Barry asked.

"Not a lot of options," Chris noted. "That said, however, at least we have _some_ useful tools at our disposal. We just have to be careful."

Aiken shifted uncomfortably.

"So what do we do now?" he asked. "Where do we go?"

"I have to get my backpack," Rebecca said. "My medical supplies are in there along with some of the evidence against Umbrella."

"Same with my suitcases," Star added.

Chris nodded.

"Alright," he said, "here's what we're going to do. We'll all go together and help you retrieve your things, then, we'll sweep the other rooms, starting with the lower levels. Once we find Captain Wesker, the rest of Bravo Team and a working radio or phone, we call for help. With any luck, this won't take too long and we can all get the hell out of here as quickly as possible. Sound like a plan?"

The survivors nodded. Star stepped forward.

"Before we go," he said hesitantly, "there's a request I would like to make."

Rebecca looked at him curiously.

"What is it, Star?" she asked.

He shifted uncomfortably.

"...When we meet Captain Wesker," he began, "...would it be alright if...no one were to mention my...relation to him? I don't know if he knows, and I want to keep things private. I don't want to cause him any sort of embarrassment."

Rebecca smiled and nodded.

"Sure." she said.

"Yeah," Chris waved.

"No problem," Jill winked.

Barry grunted.

"Fine with me," Aiken said.

"Whatever you say, Junior," Joseph replied.

The albino nodded graciously. "Thank you for your discretion."

"Is that it?" Chris asked.

"That's all."

The Alpha Point Man turned to face the dining room door.

"Okay. Let's go."


	5. Chapter Four: Searching

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Four: Searching**

The dining room clock thundered noisily on as the survivors crept back in. Chris took the lead while Barry and Jill covered the rear, with Rebecca and Star in the middle with Joseph and Aiken lagging behind.

Rebecca cast her eyes around nervously along with the others as they followed Chris, then glanced to Gilman's fallen form, his brains oozing out from the back of his head. Repressing a shudder, she shifted her eyes away. Even though Gilman had been a creep, he didn't deserve what happened to him. Looking to Star, she watched as the red-draped giant regarded the man for a moment, folding his hands together and looking down in silence.

"What are you doing, Junior?" Joseph asked.

"Just paying my respects to Gilman," he replied.

"I'm surprised you would," Rebecca commented.

"He was a boor," he nodded, "but it would be wrong for me to not give him at least some form of acknowledgement, even if he wasn't deserving of such."

Raising his chin up, he turned back to Chris and continued on.

"I don't suppose you know what happened to the table, do you?" Jill asked.

Rebecca smiled sheepishly.

"Yeaaaah, I...accidently...broke it," she said, her voice trailing off.

Jill raised a brow.

"How did you do that?" she queried curiously.

"I bumped into a statue that was next to a weak section of rail," Rebecca explained.

Joseph whistled.

"Damn, rookie," he commented. "Quite a lot of damage."

The medic rubbed the back of her head nervously.

"Eyes on me," Chris ordered.

Rebecca watched as he approached the door at the end and opened it slowly. Poking his head through, he quietly looked around, then nodded.

"All clear."

As the survivors entered one by one, the Bravo medic took one final look back to the dining room, watching and listening as the clock winded down.

* * *

Once they arrived back at the foot stairs, Rebecca let out an audible gasp as she stared at Kenneth's remains.

"Oh god!" Jill exclaimed as she put a hand over her mouth.

Rebecca looked up at Star.

"What happened here?" she asked.

"...I...don't know," he said, shaking his head. "One minute he was taunting me with his gun, the next he just...slammed himself against the wall."

"Slammed himself against the wall?!" the medic repeated, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"Yes!" Star nodded. "Then he started to slide along the floor and spin around like a top. For a moment I thought he was...um...what do you call that dance move where you're spinning on the floor?"

"Breakdancing?" Aiken said.

"That's the one - breakdancing! He looked absurd and it was kind of amusing for a moment, but then...he started to...levitate."

"Levitate?" Rebecca exclaimed. "You mean he hopped into the air."

"No, I mean he was_ flying off the ground feet first into the air screaming_! He was clawing at the floor!" The albino then pointed to something on the floorboards. "Look there! He ripped a fingernail out trying to grab hold of something!"

Rebecca kneeled down at the stained floor. True to his word, she could see what looked unmistakably like nail marks and a broken finger nail.

"He was hollering and screaming for help and I was trying to help him down," Star continued, "but no matter how many times I tried reaching for him, he just jerked away, like someone was...toying with us. When I finally got hold of him, he pulled me up into the air with him and slammed us both into the wall!"

He pointed to a large dent in demonstration. "That's where we struck! And then he was spinning higher and higher and-"

The boy froze as everyone stared at him.

"And..."

He looked around at them all, then lowered his eyes to the floor.

"I...I know how insane this sounds," he said quietly, his eyes watery as he swallowed, his lower lip trembling, "but-but I swear I wasn't imagining it. I didn't do this."

"Then who?" Rebecca asked.

The albino shifted uncomfortably.

"I...I think it was the Magician," Star said. He then pointed to the railing above. "Before Officer Redfield struck me, I saw him standing right there. He was just...staring at me."

Rebecca paled.

"Whoa, time out!" Joseph said. "What's a 'Magician'?"

The medic looked around anxiously, then waved them over.

"Follow me," she said fearfully. "You have to see this."

Stepping into a room almost tucked away behind the stairs, Rebecca searched through her belongings, then picked up a large black manuscript bound in vellum. Opening it up, she quickly flipped through before stopping on a particular page. Picking it up, she then showed it to Barry and Jill.

"Was this what that 'statue' looked like?" Rebecca asked.

She watched as the two Alphas took hold of the manuscript.

"Yeah," the older woman nodded. "That's exactly what it looked like." Jill looked at her curiously. "Why do you look so scared, Rebecca?"

Rebecca swallowed.

"...Look at the pages after."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

Jill blinked, then did as instructed. She paused, her eyes studying the details within as she flipped through.

"...What is this?" she asked.

"...You know those Arcana creatures we were telling you about?" Rebecca said.

Jill looked up from the page.

"You mean-"

Rebecca shakily nodded, her whole body trembling.

Jill exchanged nervous looks with Chris, then Barry. The medic felt absolutely sick. She felt like she was going to faint.

Barry frowned. "Wait a minute. Hold your horses. Before we all jump to conclusions, let's think about this. Aren't we overreacting? How could your pasty boyfriend see it here when it was back in the art gallery with me and Jill? There's no way it can be in two places at once!"

Rebecca frowned. It was true, such a thing would be impossible.

Aiken hesitated.

"Oh my god," he said aloud.

"What?" Rebecca asked.

"It's just like in the factory!" he exclaimed.

Star blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember how Captain Marini and I told you two about those lizard men whose heads just suddenly disappeared?" he reminded. "Before that, we saw some weird creature in a tube. One moment, it was there on camera, the next it just...vanished."

"It broke out?" Rebecca asked.

"No, it literally just vanished into thin air! The glass was still in tact! The Captain and I were completely puzzled by it and were trying to figure out how the hell it had gotten out. That was...until we found it."

"It attacked you?" Star deduced.

Aiken shook his head. "No. No, it was laid out...in pieces next to us."

Rebecca looked to see the doubtful expressions on her coworkers' faces. Some of them looked even slightly nervous. Not because of whatever haunted the halls, but rather because they seemed to think they were in the presence of crazy people.

"Chris," Aiken spoke, "you got to listen to us, man! I swear I'm not making this up!"

Chris approached him, sighing.

"Guys, I know you've been through a lot," he said calmly, putting a hand on Aiken's shoulder, "but did any of you get some sleep? Have any of you eaten anything?"

"Admittedly not a lot," Star conceded, "but it still doesn't change the fact that-"

"That what, we're being hunted by the Devil? Come on!" Barry said exasperatedly. "If it was real, why did it leave me and Jill alone?"

"Who's to say it hasn't?" Rebecca said. "For all we know it's here right now watching us. Following us."

Joseph shook his head. "This is crazy."

Chris frowned.

"I think the best thing for you three is to stay here and get some rest."

"But we can't-"

The Alpha Point Man raised up a hand to silence her.

"Just stay here," he ordered. "As soon as we find the rest of Bravo Team and the Captain, we'll radio you. My channel is on five."

"You're making a mistake!" Rebecca insisted. "We have to stay together!"

Jill put a hand on her shoulder.

"It won't take long," she assured. "I promise. Just stay here. If you need help, radio any one of us and we'll be there."

The Alphas nodded to the trio as they left.

"See you around, guys," Joseph waved.

As the door closed behind them, Rebecca heard the Alphas murmuring on the other side. The medic lowered her eyes to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Rebecca," Star said softly.

She looked over her shoulder.

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"I made us sound like complete lunatics."

Rebecca looked back to the door.

"Was what you said the truth?" she asked.

"Every word."

Rebecca turned around.

"In that case, we should get our things together as quickly as possible and follow after them." the medic said as she grabbed her backpack from the floor and gathered up her stuff.

The albino nodded as he gathered up his.

"...Do you suppose Alpha Team's right, though?" Aiken asked. "That we're overreacting?"

Rebecca looked up at him.

"Richard, if the Magician is as dangerous as you described, then they need our help more than ever."

The Communications specialist frowned.

"The thing is, though," he said slowly, "is that I'm not sure if it is. I didn't actually see anything other than what I told you. I didn't see this Magician thing."

"But Captain Marini said that he saw a silhouette-"

"_He_ saw a silhouette, Rebecca._ I_ didn't see anything."

He rubbed his eyes.

"Maybe Chris and the others are right." he said tiredly. "Maybe we should get some rest."

Rebecca shook her head. "I don't feel like sleeping."

"Try. You look exhausted, Rebecca." Aiken insisted.

The medic looked around with uncertainty.

Aiken sat back into the chair. "Go ahead, Rebecca. I'll keep watch."

Rebecca considered the offer. Stuffing in the last item into her backpack, she zipped it back up, then sighed.

"Alright," she relented, climbing onto the bed. Rebecca then looked to the albino. "What about you, Star?"

Star finished closing his bag, then stood up.

"I'll be right back," he said.

"Where are you going?"

The albino said nothing as he exited the room. A few minutes later, he came back inside.

"Sorry, I just wanted to get something." Rebecca watched as he stepped toward her, handing her back her pistol and a thick wad of money. "I only took back what was mine. Nothing more, nothing less. This is just to pay you back."

Rebecca nodded.

"Thank you."

The albino nodded back as she took them. Ejecting the clip, Rebecca checked her ammo. Once she was satisfied, she slipped the clip back in, then holstered her weapon. As she stuffed the money back into her wallet, Star sat with his back against the wall on the floor.

"I'll sit here." he said as he opened up his bag of apples. "These should help keep me awake."

He offered them to the Bravos. When they politely refused, he leaned back against the wall.

"Suit yourself." he shrugged as he took a bite.

"If anything happens, wake me," Rebecca said.

Aiken and Star nodded.

"We will." the former replied.

Closing her eyes, Rebecca allowed herself to drift to sleep.

* * *

Jill nervously walked alongside Chris, Barry and Joseph trailing close behind them as they navigated the F-shaped corridor.

"Something wrong, Jill?" the former asked.

She sighed.

"No," she lied. "It's nothing."

The Alpha Point Man looked at her.

"Come on, Jill, be straight with me," he said. "It's obvious something is on your mind."

Jill looked around apprehensively.

"It's just...Barry and I saw it for ourselves," she said. "It was just standing there in front of us."

"It's just a statue, Jill." Barry spoke up.

"Then where did it go?" she asked. "_Something_ happened to Kenneth, Barry!"

He shrugged.

"I think the kid is just confused. That zombie with the axe must have butchered Kenneth right in front of him and he's just in shock. As for the disappearing statue, maybe someone came in when we weren't looking and moved it. If it really was _alive_, one of Umbrella's creations, why didn't it attack us?"

Jill lowered her eyes. That was something she herself wondered about.

She frowned.

_'You're thinking too much about it, girl,'_ she thought. It was just a statue.

And yet...she kept thinking back to the manuscript. Various diagrams had illustrated the creature's anatomy, breaking down each and every part in considerable detail. A lot of advanced technical terms were used, referring to the armored pieces on its shoulders and legs as "solar panels with crystalline silicon-celled modules", the horns as "frontal cranial antennae" and the exposed wires and tubes as "pneumatic artificial muscles". What made the drawings seem more than mere fantasy, however, was the fact that they went so far as to include weight ratios, mathematical and physics equations, chemical formulas and other stuff that all came together in such a way that made it seem possible for this thing to be built.

Repressing a shudder, Jill tried to change the subject.

"So, Captain Wesker has a kid," she mused.

Chris frowned. "Don't remind me."

"A lot of the girls back at the Station are going to be heartbroken when they find out," Joseph commented.

Jill hummed in agreement. It was a known fact that Captain Wesker was the handsomest man at the RPD along with Chris. At one point Jill herself had a bit of a crush on the enigmatic blonde. With his chiseled clean good looks, lean muscled body and his black sunglasses, he was drop-dead sexy.

"Think they might become interested in Junior?"

Chris shrugged. "Who knows."

"I've always wondered why the Captain wore those sunglasses," Barry said, then shuddered. "Jesus. I wonder if there's a name for it. His condition, I mean."

"We should ask next time," Jill said, prompting a nod from the three. "What do you think of his son?"

The Alphas considered the question.

"...Strange," Chris answered. "That's the only word I can think of."

Joseph scoffed.

"No kidding. I think he might be a bit nuts, too."

Jill looked over at Barry.

"How about you?"

The heavy-set man pursed his lips, then shrugged. "Hard to tell. He's a hard read."

"What about you, Jill?" Chris asked.

The B&E specialist took her time answering.

"...I don't know," she said slowly. "He's handsome, but...I keep getting the feeling something is wrong with him."

"You sense it, too, eh, Jill?" Joseph said. "I tell ya, there are some people out there who you know with just one look are batshit crazy."

"No, not crazy," she shook her head, "I mean like...something is actually..._wrong_...with him. Like he's this..._thing_!"

He paused, considering her remark.

"Maybe he is a thing," the Omni Man shrugged.

The Alphas looked at him.

"Excuse me?" Jill said.

"Maybe he and Wesker are both aliens," he suggested. "Personally I think the Captain doesn't reproduce like a normal person would. I think he just secretes out a clone of himself like an amoeba or something."

Chris laughed.

"There's an image," the Point Man smiled.

"It's much more plausible than the idea of him being with a woman."

Jill smiled.

"Come on, Captain Wesker is a flesh and blood human being," she waved him off.

"So you say." Joseph said unconvinced.

Jill shook her head.

"Ah, what's the use in talking to you," she said. "Hard to believe Kenneth's a spy."

"I know, right?" Chris nodded in agreement. "I thought he was a bit of a jerk, but a spy? Never saw that coming."

Jill looked around. "Where are we going?"

"Just want to see what these other rooms are before we move to the next level," Redfield replied as he turned to his right through a door, entering what looked to be a bedroom. Beside the door to the right was what appeared to be a glass wine cabinet with various vintage bottles. Joseph stared at them, nodding in approval.

"Nice."

His hand reached out.

"Don't even think about it, Joseph," Chris warned.

Letting out a suffering sigh full of wistful longing, Joseph eyed them, then turned his head away as he and the others looked around. To the left of the door was a desk with a lamp and a bed that had a few articles of clothing on it with some hangers. At the far end of the room was a closed closet. Walking toward it, Chris grabbed hold of the handle and tried to pull it open. He shook his head.

"Locked."

Approaching the desk, Chris opened its drawers, then picked up a journal.

"What you got there, Redfield?" Joseph asked.

"Keeper's diary," he called as he opened it up and peered inside. "'May 9, 1998 - Got back from playing poker with Scott and Alias from Security and Steve from Research last night. Steve got very lucky with a full flush, but I'm sure he cheated. That's the last time I'm playing with that fucker!'"

"Sounds like the guy's a sore loser," Barry commented.

_"'May 10th 1998,'"_ Chris continued, _"'Today, the higher-ups asked me to take care of some new creatures. They kind of look like skinned gorillas. I was instructed to give them live animals. When I threw in a pig, they were playing with it... tearing off the pig's legs and pulling out the guts before they actually ate it.'"_

"Oh god," Jill blanched.

"Jesus," Joseph swore.

_"'May 11th 1998 - Scott came in and woke me up suddenly at five in the morning. Scared the shit out of me, too. He was wearing a protective suit that made him look like an explorer from outer space. He told me to put one on as well. Said that the basement lab had an accident. Christ, I knew something like this would happen! Those guys in Research never sleep.'"_

"So Rebecca was right," Jill said. "Umbrella was developing weapons here."

"Pretty much confirms it," Chris said as he went on, _"'May 12th 1998-"_

The closet door flung open as a zombie pushed itself out.

"HOLY SHIT!" Joseph yelled, startled as he blasted it in the face. The body walked two feet toward them, then fell onto Jill as she screamed, pushing it off as it fell to the floor.

"You okay, Jill?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, just scared me," she said as she wiped her hands on her vest.

He sighed.

"Let's get the hell out of here before something else pops up."

Jill nodded. "Good idea."

* * *

"Star? Star? Wake up, mon cher!"

Star opened his eyes, blinking.

"...Mother?" he said in surprise.

A short plump woman in her forties that was dressed in a white sweater and black pants smiled down at him, her hair short but thick, red and curly.

"About time you woke up," she said, her Cajun accent thick.

Star looked around. He was back in his house, lying in his room, a small red cube with a black carpet that had a desk to the right against the wall with a bookcase and various photographs of him and his mother, along with his high school diploma and graduate certificates. Next to his bed were two large posters of "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Big Sleep" along with a small dresser with a lamp.

Turning to his left, he stared out the window at the willow trees as they swayed in the wind.

"Something wrong, honey?" his mother asked.

He looked back to her. "Where's Rebecca?"

She raised a brow.

"'Rebecca'?" she repeated. The red-haired woman pulled one corner of her mouth into an amused grin. "Why Jack Phillip Wolf, did you get yourself a girlfriend without me knowing?"

Star sat right up, looking around.

"How did I get back here?" he said in confusion. "I was on my way to Raccoon City when the train..."

The albino trailed off. Eleanor gave him a saddened look.

"You poor thing," she said as she put a hand on his shoulder, sitting on the bed beside him. "You thought you were there and that you met someone special, haven't you?"

Star said nothing.

Had everything been a dream?

On one hand, he felt a great sense of relief; there was so much horror and insanity, so much death. It felt so...Kafkaesque. Like an unending nightmare without any semblance of meaning.

On the other hand, though...he couldn't help feeling a great sense of...loss. He had been so close to meeting his father at long last. Even more, he met someone that he had dearly loved. The idea that it had all been his imagination...

Lowering his chin down quietly, Star felt tears pour down his cheeks as Eleanor pulled him into a hug.

"It's okay, Wolf cub," she said, kissing the top of his head. "It's okay, little one. It's okay."

She kissed his forehead.

Was there really no Raccoon City? Was there really no S.T.A.R.S.? Was...was there really...no Rebecca?

"It seemed so real," he said quietly as he wiped his eyes. Taking in a deep breath, he exhaled. "God, it felt so real!"

Had he really been so miserable and lonely?

Star had never thought so. In fact, he was long used to solitude. Ever since he was eight years old. His mother had once asked him how he could tolerate such loneliness, to which the albino had answered by saying that he was secretly Baldur, the Norse god of light that felt no pain, partially out of jest.

_'If only that were true,'_ he thought bitterly.

Eleanor watched him with sad eyes.

"Don't worry, Wolf cub," she assured. "I'm sure some day you'll meet someone nice."

He said nothing for a long time, then sighed.

"I don't know, Eleanor," Star said doubtfully. "Maybe dreams are only thing I could hope for."

The red-haired woman leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead again, hugging him.

"There, there, little one, you'll meet someone yet," she promised. "Just you wait."

Eleanor then stood up.

"Now, I need you to come down stairs. I have fresh chicken ready, and Freddy is waiting just outside."

Star scoffed.

"He's here?"

"Don't be so surprised, Star," she replied. "He's always on time."

"Hm," he nodded.

"Maybe this will be the day he finally greets you."

"I wouldn't bet on it." He stated certainly.

She shrugged. "You never know. Come on."

Star sighed.

"I will," he replied. "Just give me a second, okay?"

Eleanor nodded, giving him a comforting sad smile. "Okay, sweety."

As she left his room, Star leaned back against his headboard, letting out a despondent exhale.

So it had all been a dream after all.

The albino stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, then pushed himself off the bed.

_Well, time to feed Freddy._

* * *

Star stood in the backyard holding a plate of cut-up chicken, staring out into the trees and bushes. Twenty feet away stood a fat fox.

"Here's your dinner, Freddy," the albino said as he lowered it to the ground. "It's fried chicken. I hope you like it."

Backing away toward the house, he watched as the fox slowly approached the plate, gobbling everything down.

"Look at him go!" Eleanor marveled. "He must have been starving, the poor thing!"

"I know." Star agreed.

Within three minutes, Freddy was finished, licking his chops happily. The albino gave a small smile.

"Liked that, Freddy?"

The fox gave no response.

"Well, I hope you did," Star nodded. "See you around."

Just as he was about to turn away, Eleanor put a hand on his shoulder.

"Look!" she said in a hushed voice. "He's coming toward you!"

Star looked back. True to Eleanor's word, Freddy was approaching him, looking at him.

"Well would you look at that," he said as he kneeled down. "Hey there!"

He watched as the fox licked his hand before hopping up onto his leg, licking his face.

"What did I tell you, Star? He really likes you," Eleanor nodded.

He laughed as it licked his face happily. In retrospect, letting a wild animal lick his face was probably the dumbest thing he could have possibly done, especially considering the risk of infection. He'd probably need to get tetanus shots, but he was just too happy to care. It was then that the albino realized something odd; there was no odor whatsoever. Foxes tend to have a very strong musky smell, so why was Freddy different?

"I think this might be someone's pet," he said as it continued to lick his face. "It's not as musky as the others."

It was then that he saw the colour of its elliptical-pupiled eyes - brilliant forest green. Like Rebecca's.

_'That's odd. I could have sworn his eyes had been orange,'_ Star thought.

"Richard?"

The albino looked around, startled by Rebecca's voice.

"Did you hear that?" he said.

The fox kept licking his face. Star pushed it down as he looked about, but the feeling of something wet brushing against his face continued on...

* * *

When Star opened his eyes, he found Aiken looming over him, leaning forward with his tongue brushing against his scarred cheeks.

_"WHAT THE FUCK?!"_ Star screamed as he roughly pushed the Bravo off him with every ounce of strength he had, flinging him back against the wall as the albino gave a look of horror, disgust and mortification.

Aiken shook his head, blinking in confusion.

"Wha-?" he sputtered.

_"What is wrong with you?!"_ Star yelled as he wiped his face.

"What are you talking about?!" Aiken said confusedly.

"Is this some sort of sick joke?! Why the hell would you do that to me?!" the teenager demanded angrily.

"I don't know what you're talking about, you raving lunatic!"

"_I'm_ the lunatic?!" Star sat up. "You were _licking my face while I slept_ and_ scared the shit out of me_, and _I'm_ the lunatic?!"

"Guys calm down!" Rebecca said placatingly. Turning to her coworker, she nodded. "It's true, Richard. I saw you doing that to him."

Aiken blinked several times.

"I was?" he said uncertainly.

She nodded again.

Aiken sat still, then gave a look of disgust.

"Ugh!" he said as he spat onto the floor. "Gross."

"Try imagining how I feel," Star grumbled.

"Will you two just make peace already?" Rebecca said impatiently. "Look, it's obvious what has happened. Richard was sleepwalking and you ended up getting...licked. I don't think any offense had been meant. It was a complete accident."

She then looked at the two.

"So come on guys - kiss and make up."

Star frowned.

"_Very_ poor choice of words, Rebecca," he muttered.

She gave a cheeky grin. Aiken sighed.

"Look, I don't know what happened, but...um...sorry." he blurted uncomfortably.

The albino quietly regarded him, then gave a nod.

"My apologies for my outburst," he replied.

Leaning back against the wall, Aiken massaged his temples.

"It's weird," he spoke, "I could have sworn that I had been awake this entire time."

Rebecca shrugged.

"Apparently you nodded off without realizing," she replied.

He pulled his hand away. "It's funny, I've never sleepwalked in my entire life. I wonder why now."

"It could be anything," she answered. "Stress, anxiety, fatigue, lack of or interrupted sleep, certain medications, going to bed with a full bladder..."

The medic looked at him curiously.

"Do any of your family members sleepwalk?"

Aiken shook his head. "No. There has never been anything like that in my family."

Letting out a groan, he cracked his neck and stretched out his arms and back.

"Well, I'm fully awake now," he said. Pushing himself up to his feet, he stumbled slightly. "Whoa."

"Are you okay, Richard?" Rebecca asked.

"Y-Yeah, just a little discombobulated, I guess," he said as he pushed himself up from the wall. "Everything feels so new. I _really_ must have been exhausted."

He edged toward the door. "I'll be right back, I need to use the men's room."

"Richard?"

Aiken paused, looking over his shoulder. "Yes Rebecca?"

"...Be careful, okay?" she said concernedly.

He smiled.

"I will."

As he exited the room, Star leaned back against the wall.

"Did I wake you?" he asked.

Rebecca shook her head.

"Actually it was Richard that had," she said as she rubbed her eyes. "He was making these really weird breathing noises. And his _eyes_...there was something weird about his _eyes_..."

The albino said nothing.

"I was surprised to hear you use such colorful language. He really _did_ scare you, didn't he?" Rebecca said.

Star stared at the ceiling.

"One moment I was dreaming of being back home with Mother and Freddy, the next I wake up to find Officer Aiken licking me," he replied, shuddering.

Rebecca looked at him interestedly.

"You were dreaming of Freddy?" she said.

"I had," the albino nodded. "I dreamt that I woke up in my bed and that everything had been a dream, including you."

"That must have been disorienting."

"A little," he admitted.

Rebecca shifted on the bed.

"Tell me more," she encouraged.

Star sighed. "There's not really much to tell. I had given Freddy a plate of food when he just decided to come over and..."

He trailed off, watching as the medic smiled.

"That sounds nice," she said softly.

"Hm." he replied.

"I bet you were disappointed when you realized it was just a dream."

He considered it.

"...Yes and no," he said truthfully. "You may find this strange for me to say, but...I felt much more devastated when I thought everything _had_ been a dream."

"Really? How come?"

Star considered his words.

"...Because...it meant that you and Father weren't real." he replied quietly. "Even though I'd much rather Umbrella, their monsters and appalling actions be flights of fancy, I...don't regret meeting you. I'm actually glad that you _are_ real."

Rebecca looked at him.

"Awww," she gushed. "You really do like me, don't you?"

The corners of his mouth crept up slightly.

"Well...yes." he said with a nod. "I do."

The medic blinked in surprise, then gave a gentle smile.

"I like you too, Star." she said softly.

The albino regarded her for a moment, then shifted uncomfortably.

"...Uh, I should get ready for Father," he said as he reached into one of his suitcases.

Rebecca frowned.

"We tried the latex pieces already, Star," she said. "The glue won't stick on."

He shook his head.

"It's not them I'm reaching for," Star replied as he took out a black glasses case. Opening it up, he pulled out a pair of black sunglasses, then put them on, pulling down his hood as he looked at her.

"Well...what do you think?" he asked nervously.

She looked at him for a moment.

"...I'm afraid I don't see any resemblance," the medic said regretfully.

His features fell.

"...Do I look better with them on, at least?" he asked.

Rebecca nodded.

"You look good," she said.

"Does it hide the bruises and scars?"

"A little bit."

He put the sunglasses away, stuffing them into the pocket of his red coat.

"I should have put the makeup and latex pieces on before I came here," Star lamented. "I should have dyed my hair. I haven't even brushed my teeth yet!"

"You're fine, Star!" the Bravo medic assured. "You look handsome. Really. I'm sure Captain Wesker will like you just the way you are."

The albino gave a nervous exhale.

"You think so?"

"Definitely." she winked.

Rebecca then looked down at herself.

"Uhh, I must be a mess! Can I borrow your makeup case?"

Star gave a mock look of surprise.

"Why Rebecca, getting yourself all tarted up for me? You shouldn't have!" he teased.

She rolled her eyes.

"You wish," the medic dryly replied. "Can you lend it to me please?"

He nodded.

"Sure," the red-clad albino said as he undid his suitcase. Taking out a brown make-up case and some cotton pads, he carried them over to her, putting them down onto the bed beside her.

"Thanks," she nodded.

As he turned around and made his way back to the wall, Star paused in his step.

"...You don't have to worry about looking like a mess, Rebecca," he said, turning his head slightly. "You _are_ beautiful, even without the makeup."

He heard her pause.

"...Thank you." she said quietly, her tone full of warmth.

Giving a nod, the albino sat back down on the floor, resting his back against the wall as he reached for his bag of apples.

"So," he said as he reached inside and took an apple out, "we now have winged dogs to deal with."

Rebecca shrugged.

"I know, right?" she said. "It just keeps getting crazier and crazier!"

"Do you think they're actually wings, or do you think it's some sort of frill?" he asked, taking a bite.

"I don't know, I'll need to see them first." the medic replied as she applied some makeup onto her cheek. "I've actually been thinking about those zombies Chris killed. They're very different from the other ones we had encountered."

Star nodded in agreement, swallowing. "They are. I've never seen any of them spit up acid before."

Rebecca looked up thoughtfully.

"Given a zombie's diet, I suppose it would make sense that they would have concentrated stomach acid."

"I'm also surprised by how durable they are - the others had never been that difficult to kill."

She nodded.

"Yeah," she agreed, "especially that last one."

The girl shuddered.

"If it wasn't for the fact that I haven't eaten anything, I'd have thrown up," she admitted. "God, that laugh..."

Star nodded. "I know."

Once she finished, Rebecca closed the case.

"Okay, all done."

Star got up and took it back, placing it inside his suitcase.

"Would you like an apple?" he asked.

Rebecca put a hand on her chin.

"...Out of curiosity, do you have anything other than apples?" she asked.

He frowned. "I don't." The albino then hesitated. "Actually I do!" Star remembered. "I have a couple cans of _pâté_."

"Really?" she said interestedly. "What kind?"

"Chicken," he answered.

"Do you know what brand it is?"

"Cesar."

Rebecca blinked.

"Cesar?" she repeated in confusion. "Are you sure that's the name?"

"It is."

She looked down thoughtfully. "Huh. I've never heard of that one."

"Nor have I until relatively recently," Star said as he reached into one of his suitcases. "I was in a bit of a rush to catch the train, but I was hungry and saw these, so I thought why not."

Taking out some small cans, he stood up and handed them to her along with a spoon.

"Thank you," Rebecca said gratefully as she took them.

Taking one for himself, the albino opened it up and scooped it up with his own spoon, taking a bite.

Looking back to Rebecca, he watched as she lifted up a can and studied it curiously. Flipping one side over, the medic suddenly paused, staring at the lid for a couple of seconds. Putting a hand over her mouth, she covered her eyes, her whole form trembling.

_'What's gotten into her?'_ Star wondered.

"Rebecca?" he called uncertainly.

The medic made a noise that he couldn't identify. At first, the albino thought that she was crying. Alarmed, he was just about to stand up when Rebecca pulled her hand away from her face, revealing the truth; she wasn't crying.

Not at all.

On the contrary.

She was _laughing_!

"Are you okay, Rebecca?" he asked, concerned and puzzled by her response.

Rebecca was laughing so hard, her whole face was flushed red.

"It's..." she stammered, "it's..._.dog food_!"

Star blinked. "What? What are you talking about?"

The Bravo medic clutched her chest, tossing her head back, tears running down her face as she guffawed.

"It's-it's gourmet dog food!" she tried to speak. "Haven't you wondered what that tiny black silhouette represented? It's a little terrier!"

The albino frowned.

"It's a sheep," he said as he lifted up the can to inspect. "See, it's...dog food."

He stared at the label.

Rebecca's laugh filled the room as she grabbed hold of her sides, her face pressed against the ruined mattress. Tightening his hand around the can, Star whipped it angrily at the wall opposite him, causing the laughter to cease as the container crashed, spilling its contents across the floor as he sat there leaning forward, covering his eyes with one gloved hand.

"...Star?"

The albino said nothing. He didn't want to look at her, nor did he want her look at him.

"...Star, what's wrong?" she called, her voice closer.

Pulling his hand away from his face, the albino stared to the floor, averting his eyes.

"Look at me."

_'Don't do it,'_ he told himself._ 'Don't let her see you like this.'_

Against his better judgement, he obeyed.

"I wasn't laughing at you," Rebecca assured. "I swear I wasn't."

Star looked away.

"I'm sorry if I upset you."

The albino shook his head.

"You haven't upset me." he replied quietly.

"Then what's wrong?"

It took a while for him to talk.

"I...I just….I just...feel...so..." he said in a low voice, trying to find the right words, "...undignified."

He stared to the floor. "...When I came here, part of me...thought it would...be...a fresh start. I wanted...so...desperately to make a good impression when it came to the day I finally met S.T.A.R.S. My father. I wanted them...you...to see a man with his head held high. Someone you could all look upon without shame and be proud of having by their...your side. To be considered...a...friend...or...son."

He shook his head slowly. "Instead, you all get to see this..._thing_ that I am. A freak that eats dog food."

Star felt a hand on his arm.

"Look at me."

Obeying, he turned, then blinked as the medic flicked him between the eyes.

"So what if you are?" she said. "It doesn't diminish your character. You can still hold your head high. You are a good person, Star, and I'm sure Captain Wesker would be proud to have you as a son."

The albino stared to the floor, unconvinced.

"...What if he doesn't accept me?" he asked anxiously.

"He will," Rebecca said, gently squeezing his arm. "I'm sure he will. If he doesn't, though...you still have me."

Star looked up at her, surprised.

"What? Us freaks have to stick together, you know," she shrugged. "And besides...I'm not ashamed to call you my friend."

He regarded her for a moment.

"...You really are a special person, Rebecca," he said softly.

Rebecca smiled, giving him a nod.

"Just one thing, though," she said seriously. "Promise that you won't make a habit out of eating dog food, okay?"

He stared for a few seconds, then laughed.

"I assure this was the first and only time," the albino youth chuckled. Picking up one of the cans, he looked at the label. "Funny thing, though. It's not that bad."

Rebecca laughed, her voice joining with his.

* * *

Curien paced about the control room anxiously, his fingers fidgeting with the pocket watch, opening the lid with his thumb.

"Sir, we have detected more strays" His subordinate spoke, his eyes still latched onto the monitor in front of him.

The pocket watch latch snapped shut.

"Send in Chariot Type-027 and Hanged Man Type-041. I want this mess cleaned as quickly as possible."


	6. Chapter Five: Divided

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Songs used: 'Pet Sematary' by The Ramones**

**'Dream' - The Pied Pipers**

**Rebecca's Theme* aka "Meeting Rebecca" aka "Sigh of Relief" aka "The One Who Survives" -RE1 soundtrack ( www . /watch?v=SSdJdMI-O0 8)  
**

**Star's Theme** - "Endless Battle" - House of the Dead 4 soundtrack (h t t watch?v=1ibuQxlLaC Q)**

**"You're The One I Love" by Jane Olivor**

**Author's Note: A huge shoutout to Lil' Hedgepig for his help and input. His suggestion for the type of horror featured here was invaluable. Thank you so much, dude. You are awesome! :)**

**Chapter Five: Divided**

Rebecca glanced over to the door as Richard stepped back in.

"Were you able to find a washroom?" she asked.

Aiken frowned. "No. I just urinated on a wall."

Rebecca watched as Star opened up one of his suitcases, taking out a container of cleaning cloths. Gratefully accepting with a nod, the Communications specialist proceeded to wipe his hands.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered. "What moron thought it would be a good idea to hide the bloody toilet?"

"Perhaps there's an outhouse outside," Star suggested as he put the cleaning cloths back into his case.

"If there is, fuck that," Aiken said as he pocketed the cloth. "I don't want some damn black widow or whatever to crawl up and bite me when I'm doing my business."

Rebecca shuddered at the thought. Turning her attention to the shelf, the medic got up and inspected its contents carefully.

"Good thing we have preventatives for that here. It looks like this is some sort of storeroom," she commented, observing the various serums and vitamin bottles. Picking some of them up, she carefully studied them, putting them into her backpack.

"What are you doing?" Aiken asked.

"Just taking some supplies, mainly antivenoms for spiders and snakes in the event we encounter any," she answered. Looking at her coworker, the medic shrugged. "You never know when we might need them."

Star checked his bags. Satisfied, he glanced back up.

"So, what do we do now?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Aiken replied. "We're going to go out and help Alpha, 'cause I'm done sitting it out."

Rebecca nodded. "Agreed."

Pushing himself off the floor, Star brushed his pants and coat.

"I don't suppose you have any ammunition on you, Officer Aiken?"

Aiken frowned.

"No."

Taking out her pistol, Rebecca ejected the clip, dividing up the rounds between herself and Richard, giving him seven bullets.

"Take these," she offered.

The Communications specialist nodded appreciatively. "Thank you."

Once the Bravos finished reloading, Aiken nodded to them.

"Okay. Let's go."

* * *

It was the sound of music that drew the survivors.

"What is that?" Rebecca asked.

"Sounds like The Ramones," Aiken noted grimly. "From the tune, I'd say it's 'Pet Sematary'."

Rebecca listened to the lyrics as it played.

_"'Under the arc of a weather stain boards_  
_Ancient goblins, and warlords_  
_Come out the ground, not making a sound_  
_The smell of death is all around_  
_And the night when the cold wind blows_  
_No one cares, nobody knows.'"_

_"'I don't want to be buried in a pet cemetery_  
_I don't want to live my life again_  
_I don't want to be buried in a pet cemetery_  
_I don't want to live my life again.'"_

The medic shifted uncomfortably at the song.

"Really bad timing," she muttered.

_"'Follow Victor to the sacred place_  
_This ain't a dream, I can't escape_  
_Molars and fangs, the clicking of bones_  
_Spirits moaning among the tombstones_  
_And the night, when the moon is bright_  
_Someone cries, something ain't right.'"_

Hearing a hum beside her, Rebecca turned in surprise to see Star bouncing his head to the lyrics.

"What?" he said innocently. "I used to listen to this song."

"I didn't know you liked The Ramones!" she said.

"Yeah, I used to put this song on all the time in my car."

The Bravos looked at him interestedly.

"You have a car?" Aiken repeated.

"Yeah." the albino nodded.

"What kind?"

"Red 76 Cadillac," Star smiled. "I used to-"

* * *

He trailed off, staring blankly.

* * *

_The young man drove down a street in a red Cadillac blaring 'Pet Sematary' on his radio. Raising up his left wrist, he checked his watch. He still had some time to get there. Hopefully the guy or girl he's partnered up with is a music lover like himself._

* * *

"Star?"

He looked back up. "Yes?"

"You used to what?"

"I...used to drive around the street with the volume all the way up," Star finished.

_'What the hell? I don't have a car, nor have I ever played this song.'_ he thought.  
In fact, he was fairly certain this was his_ first_ time ever hearing it. He didn't even have his driver's license yet. And yet...it felt as if he had lived this particular moment, heard this particular song before.

What was going on?

* * *

As the albino glanced perplexedly down in thought, Rebecca gave Star a curious look.

"You really are full of surprises," she replied.

Star shrugged in response. The medic then nodded down a corridor.

"It sounds like the music is coming from down here."

Navigating the hallways, the medic listened to the lyrics as the trio honed in on the sound.

_"'I don't want to be buried in a pet cemetery_  
_I don't want to live my life again._  
_I don't want to be buried in a pet cemetery,_  
_I don't want to live my life again, oh, no, oh, no._  
_I don't want to live my life, not again, oh, no, oh, oh._  
_I don't want to live my life, not again, oh, no, no, no._  
_Don't want to live my life, not again.'"_

Upon tracing it back to its source, the survivors discovered a well-lit bar with green walls and overhanging lamps. In the far corner was a green bar counter with a couple of shelves stacked to the brim with various alcoholic beverages, six red stools in the front and an old juke box at the side that finished its song, the machine positioned underneath a massive framed picture of the mansion itself that hung from the wall. In the corner of the picture was some writing that said "Commemorating the completion of the mansion...".

There were one or two tables and a few extra chairs here and there, but occupying the center was a beautiful black grand piano and a tiny alcove with a shelf lined against a wall.

Moving to the juke box, the trio glanced around as Aiken approached the juke box.

"Huh," he muttered. "Nice bar."

"Amazing what money can buy," Rebecca commented as she trailed her eyes around.

Star hummed in agreement as he eyed the piano. Approaching it, he put down his bags, then curiously tested a key, tapping it a few times. Testing a lower key, then another, and another, the albino then playfully did "Shave and Haircut, Two Bits".

Rebecca looked at him. "Having fun?"

The albino flashed her a grin in answer.

"Piano seems to be in good condition," he noted as he tested the keys, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he listened. "It sounds very stiff, though."

Aiken checked around the bar, looking behind the counter.

"Doesn't look like anyone's here," the Bravo shrugged. "Maybe the jukebox went off by itself."

"I wonder where they've gone," Rebecca said.

Hearing the door behind them open, the trio turned to see Chris and the others as they entered.

"So this is what you three were doing," Jill said as she glanced around.

Rebecca raised up her hands.

"We only just got here," she insisted.

"Uh huh," the older woman said doubtfully.

"It's true!" Aiken said. "We heard the jukebox go off so we came here to see if there was anyone around. Looks like a false alarm."

Frost made his way to the counter.

"Drinks on the house, you say? Don't mind if I do," the Omni Man said as he reached for a bottle of beer.

"Don't. Even. Think about it," Chris said.

Without even stopping to look, Frost took a bottle with one hand and gave Redfield the finger with the other.

"I wouldn't recommend drinking it," Rebecca warned. "We don't know how this pathogen spreads, so unless you want to become a zombie..."

As she let the threat drift, Joseph gave the bottle a longing crestfallen look, then sighed as he put it back onto the shelf.

"Goddamn it." he muttered.

"Oh! That reminds me," Chris said as he checked his fanny pack. "We found this in what appeared to be a keeper's room. I think it might be of some interest to you, Rebecca."

Taking out a journal, he handed it to the medic. Opening it up, Rebecca studied its contents, murmuring to herself as she read.

_'May 12, 1998_

_I've been wearing the damn HAZMAT suit since yesterday. My skin's getting grimy and feels itchy all over. I'd love to have a shower. The goddamn dogs have been looking at me funny, so I decided not to feed them today. Screw 'em.'_

_'Nice fella,' _Rebecca thought.

_'May 13, 1998_

_Went to the Infirmary because my back is all swollen and feels itchy. They put a big bandage on it and told me I didn't need to wear the suit anymore. All I wanna do is sleep.'_

_'So swelling and itchiness, is it? Interesting.' _Rebecca continued to read.

_'May 14, 1998_

_Found another big blister on my foot this morning. I ended up dragging my foot all the way to the dog's pen. They were quiet all day, which is weird._

_Then I realized some of them had escaped. Maybe this is their way of getting back at me for not feeding them the last three days. If anybody finds out, I'll have my head handed to me.'_

_'May 16, 1998_

_Rumors going around that a researcher who tried to escape the estate last night was shot. My entire body feels hot and itchy and I'm sweating all the time now._

_I scratched the swelling on my arm and a piece of rotten flesh dropped off. What the hell's happening to me?_

_May 19, 1998_

_Fever gone but itchy. Today hungry and eat doggy food._

_May 21 1998_

_Itchy itchy Scott came ugly face so killed him. Tasty.'_

Rebecca shuddered at the latest entries. The handwriting was all messy with old dried blood stained on the pages.

"At least we know what symptoms to look for now," the medic said as she stuffed the diary into her backpack.

"Were any of you able to find a phone in here?" Jill asked.

"We only just started," Aiken answered.

"Okay, let's check around." Chris nodded.

The survivors dispersed. A few minutes later, Frost called, "I found a phone! It's behind the bar!"

Lifting it up from behind the counter, the Omni Man grabbed hold of the receiver, raising it to his ear, then stopped. "...Line is dead. False alarm."

"Damn it!" Aiken swore.

Rebecca frowned.

"Should have known," she muttered.

Star looked at the other survivors.

"So...what do we do?"

Chris put a hand on his chin.

"We keep searching for the rest of Bravo," he said determinedly.

"Well obviously, but in terms of us getting out of here?" Aiken asked. "There must be a car or something!"

"Even if there was, chances are high that Umbrella sabotaged it," Rebecca pointed out. "It's obvious they didn't want anyone or any of this to get out."

"And we can't even raise Brad on our radios," Frost said as he gave his a smack. "Fucking Irons..."

Barry swept a hand through his hair.

"Listen, from the size of this place, it's obvious it's going to take a very, VERY long time for each of us to search altogether," he said. "Why don't we split up and meet back here in about half an hour from now?"

Redfield frowned. "I don't know, Barry..."

"We can keep tabs on each other with our radios," Barry said as he held his up, "that way if any of us are in trouble or need back up we can let each other know."

Star looked at both men.

"What about me?" he asked. "I don't have a radio on me, nor am I armed."

"You can stay here with Rebecca," Chris answered. "Trust me, it'll be safe for the two of you."

Rebecca opened her mouth to protest. "But-"

"Let us handle this, Rebecca," the Alpha Point Man waved, cutting her off.

"It's for the best. Neither of you have any combat experience," Jill said.

Star bristled.

"Do I have to remind you both that Rebecca took on a giant leech monster, a fish man and a chainsaw-wielding psychopath and won?" he said pointedly.

"Which is why she is staying with you," Jill replied.

"Besides, Junior," Joseph spoke up, "if the Captain found out that we got you killed, he'd skin us alive."

Chris checked his watch.

"Check your watches. It's seven thirty now. We'll meet back here at eight o'clock. Got it?"

"Got it," everyone said simultaneously.

Star exhaled.

"I wish you would reconsider and let us come with you." the albino said.

Chris shook his head.

"Sorry."

Star opened his mouth to protest when he suddenly winced.

"Star?" Rebecca called.

The red-draped albino's eyes fluttered back as he wobbled unsteadily.

* * *

_He entered the office. Sitting behind a brown wooden desk was the man in the grey suit as he worked on a typewriter. Seeing him at the door, the man smiled as he stood up and greeted him._

_"So you're my new partner, eh? I think we're gonna get along just fine," the man said as he shook hands with him. "Welcome to the agency, kid. I'm James."_

* * *

"Star!"

The albino youth stumbled, then stopped as he regained his balance. Feeling a pair of hands on his arms, he looked up to see Rebecca's concerned face.

"Star are you okay?" she asked.

Star looked down uncertainly.

_'What are these visions?'_ he wondered. What do they mean?

"Just...just a bit of a headache," the red-clad youth replied.

"The Tylenol must have worn off. Just sit here by the piano and relax," Rebecca said as she guided him to the bench.

Star massaged his head as he sat down.

"Do you want another Tylenol?"

"Yes please," he said politely.

He watched as Rebecca took out a bottle of water along with a tablet. Taking them, the albino inserted the latter into his mouth, then took a sip, swallowing.

"Thank you," he said as he handed back the bottle.

"Well, it's settled - you're staying here," Jill said.

The teenager raised up his eyes. "But-"

"No buts," the older woman interrupted. "Just sit this one out."

He frowned. He hated the idea of being unable to help, but it was apparent none of them were going to listen. "Fine."

Star watched as Jill nodded, then waved to Rebecca.

"Stay safe, Rebecca."

* * *

Rebecca watched as the S.T.A.R.S. members left her and Star behind.

"Well," she sighed, "...it's just you and me again."

The albino grunted.

"...I'm sorry." he said in a low voice.

Rebecca looked at him in surprise.

"For what?"

"For being a burden."

The medic shook her head.

"You're not," she replied. "It's not your fault you're not well."

Star sighed.

"Even so...I just wish there was more I could do," he said. "I feel so useless."

Rebecca nodded.

"You and me both," she said sadly. "...We really are losers, aren't we?"

"We are." Came the quiet reply.

The two sat silently for a minute, staring to the door and at the empty room around them. Raising her eyes back up to the albino, Rebecca nodded.

"By the way, thank you for standing up for me."

The boy in red glanced to her and nodded back with a small smile.

"Any time." he then looked around. "So...what do we do now?"

The medic raised her chin thoughtfully.

"...We could try playing the piano to pass the time," she suggested.

Star shrugged. "If you wish. What song do you want to play?"

Rebecca opened her mouth, then paused.

"...I don't know," she said simply. The girl tilted back in her seat. What song should they play? "Oh! I know! Back on the elevator there was a song you had wanted to do."

"'Dream' by Pied Pipers?" he asked.

"Yeah!"

"Is that what you want to play or to sing?"

"Sing. I'm...kind of rusty in my piano playing," she admitted.

Star nodded.

"Very well, then. 'Dream' it is, then. I'll play, you sing."

* * *

Chris and Jill listened as they heard the piano playing.

_"'Dreammmmm,'" _Rebecca sang,  
_"'When you're feel-in' bluuuuuee,_  
_Dreammmmm,_  
_That's the thing to doooooooo._

_Dreammmmm,_

_While the smoke rings rise in the airrrrrr_  
_You'll find your share _

_Of memories therrrrrre_  
_Soooooo, dream.'"_

The Alpha Point Man gave a regretful sigh as the melancholic song echoed down the desolate hallways.

"You guys coming?" Joseph asked.

Jill nodded. "Yeah."

Turning around, the S.T.A.R.S. officers continued on into the dark.

* * *

_"'When the day is throuuuuuugh,_  
_Dreammmmmm_  
_Then they might come truuuuue_  
_Things never are as bad as they seemmmmmm_  
_Sooooo dreammmmm, dreammmmm, dreammmmmm.'"_

As the song ended, Rebecca cast her eyes down to the floor, letting out a deep breath of exhalation.

"That was really good," Star complimented.

She smiled.

"Thanks."

"Where did you learn to sing like that?" he asked curiously.

"I used to sing with my mom and grandmother when I was little," she answered.

"From what I can tell, they did a splendid job. You're a good singer."

"Yeah, I'm a real Maria Callas. Just one slight difference between us."

"And that is?"

Her eyes lit up mischievously. "I have more sheep."

Star let out a surprised laugh, looking as if he were caught completely off-guard by the answer.

"Do you really?" he asked, smiling.

"Yep." Rebecca nodded as she took out a brown wallet from her pants pocket. Opening it up, she showed the interior, revealing four cartoonish sheep stickers in various exaggerated poses on the inner pockets. "See?"

"So you do," the hooded albino nodded. He looked to her ID, then pointed to her middle name. "What does the 'E' stand for, out of curiosity?"

"Elizabeth," Rebecca replied. "Mom took the name from her favorite aunt."

She then looked at Star.

"Do you have a middle name?"

He nodded.

"I do. It's Philip. I took the name from my favorite movie character Philip Marlowe." he answered. "I was torn between that or Sam."

The medic looked at him, puzzled.

"Sam?"

"After Sam Spade."

The girl frowned.

"Sorry, the names don't ring any bells."

"Philip Marlowe, the detective from "The Big Sleep"? Sam Spade, from "The Maltese Falcon"? Humphrey Bogart?"

Her eyes widened in recognition.

"Ohhh, I see!" she said. "So you like film noir?"

"I do," Star nodded. "I love watching old black and white movies. You might find this strange, but...part of me likes to imagine myself being in those kind of films and that everything was like that. Black and white, I mean."

"How come?"

He tried to find the right words. "Because...it...makes me feel...normal. So I wouldn't stand out as much as I do..."

The albino shifted uncomfortably at the admission, wincing at his own words.

"I-I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's perfectly alright." she assured. "So...were you always interested in music?"

"For as long as I can remember," he replied. "Eleanor believed in the therapeutic benefits behind it and sought to connect with me through music. She said that people have their own rhythms, melodies and songs, and she wanted me to...express myself and interpret their songs, their melodies, along with my own."

"Interesting," Rebecca said, then looked at him curiously. "What is mine like?"

The albino raised a brow.

"You want me to play your song?" he asked.

"Could you?"

The hooded boy shrugged.

"Very well," he replied, then looked back to the keyboard. "Ding Dong, the witch is gone."

"Why you!" Rebecca swatted Star across the back of his head as he laughed.

"I'm kidding!" he raised his hands defensively. Looking seriously with his chin in the air, Star scrunched up his eyes in thought, then lowered them back to the keyboard. Pressing the a keys, he played three soft notes*, one of them prolonged at the end. He played them three times before repeating the same notes on a lower note. It was a gentle but sad tune. Once he finished, he pulled his hands away.

She raised her eyes.

"Is that really how you see me?" Rebecca asked quietly.

The albino frowned.

"I've offended you," he said grimly. "My apologies."

"No, not at all!" Rebecca waved. "I think it's lovely! It's a little sad, but I really like it!"

He looked at her in surprise.

"You do?"

"Yeah!" she nodded.

The red-draped albino looked back to the piano.

"Are you sure?" he said uncertainly. "Because the piano keys sound pretty stiff-"

"It's fine, Star," she assured. "Really. I really do like it. Thank you."

Star shifted uncomfortably.

"...You're welcome."

Rebecca smiled.

"Do you have a song?" she asked.

"I do." he nodded.

"Could I hear it?"

The albino gave a grim look.

"I don't think you'd like it," he replied.

"Please? I really want to hear it."

Star stared to the keys for a few minutes.

"...There's nothing...you could ask..." he said slowly, his features softening, "...that I could refuse."

Raising up his hands, he tentatively touched the keyboard, hesitantly trailing his fingers around. When Star finally played**, it came out as four hard echoing low drones shifting in pitch that went on until he played nine repetitive notes over and over again. Listening to the song, Rebecca was surprised by how hard and cold it was. It felt mechanical, and yet for some inexplicable reason, the rhythm and flow of the song made her think of a snake. It felt...soulless. It wasn't a happy song. As it continued to build, the more it evoked that sense of a snake. Star's face was completely expressionless, his strange eyes empty as he played. By the time he got to the end, he repeated the nine notes once more. The song seemed to be without end. Finally, just when it seemed he was going to repeat the whole thing over again, Star stopped.

Rebecca looked up to him.

"...That's your song?" she said in surprise.

He pulled his hands away.

"It is," Star replied.

The medic frowned.

"It's very different from how I thought it was."

The red-hooded youth looked at her.

"What were you expecting?" he asked curiously.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked. "I could think of any number of songs that would be better fitting. 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star', for one. 'When You Wish Upon A Star'. 'The Impossible Dream'."

Star regarded her.

"Interesting choices." he commented.

Rebecca shrugged. "Just telling the truth."

The youth exhaled uncertainly.

"The thing is, though...I don't really know what to make of myself," he admitted. "With so much of my life a mystery, it's hard to vocalise what I am, let alone what I...feel."

He looked at her. "Do you mind if I confess something to you?"

"Sure," she encouraged.

The albino squirmed.

"You know how I told you that I used to drive around in a car playing The Ramones?"

"Yes?"

"...The thing is...I don't have a car, plus I've never heard that song before."

She tsked.

"So you've been making things up."

"No, it's..." he shook his head, frustrated as he tried to vocalize his thoughts. "Back at the Training Facility you asked if I ever felt like I was removed from my own body. Have you...ever...had a sense of...Deja vu?"

The medic looked at him interestedly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Like...you did or heard something before but you know that you couldn't have?" Star frowned. "God, I sound insane."

"Maybe you had dreamt it and are just remembering it now," Rebecca said. "It happens to me occasionally. Sometimes dreams can be so realistic it's hard to distinguish it from the real thing. Once I dreamt that my mom and I had gotten ourselves an otter named Ollie."

The albino looked at her amusedly.

"'Ollie the otter'?" he smiled.

Rebecca shrugged.

"It's true. When I woke up, I was going to go down to feed him, but then I realized we didn't have one."

Star chuckled.

"Maybe that's what it was," he said with a nod, sighing. "Thank you, Rebecca."

Rebecca winked. "No problem."

He looked at her curiously.

"What is your favorite song out of curiosity?"

Rebecca smiled.

"'You're The One I Love' by Jane Olivor," she said. "My mom used to sing that to me when I was little before she tucked me in."

The albino blinked.

"I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with those two," he admitted.

The medic blinked. "Seriously?"

He shrugged.

"Sorry."

"Well," she grinned, "today's your lucky day."

Looking to the piano, she tested the keys. Blinking, she scowled.

"These keys really do sound stiff," she commented.

"I know," he agreed.

Once she found the exact keys she was looking for, Rebecca started to play. She didn't falter nor did she miss a key. After a few notes, she started to sing, remembering the lyrics by heart,

_"'Every niiiight, every daaaay,_  
_you're the one I dream of._  
_Every linnnnne of your faaace is sketched so plain inside my heart._  
_You've grown so deep inside of me._  
_You're everything I feel and see,_  
_and you're the one, you're the one I love.'"_

* * *

Star sat still, his eyes shadowed as he listened intently to the song.

_"'All my liiife, all my love,_  
_I can feel when you're beside meeee._  
_All that's riiiiiight, all that's wrooong_  
_suddenly becomes so clear.'"_

Rebecca paused briefly.

_"'But you havvvve someboooody else,'" _she continued softly_,_ causing the albino to look away,  
_"'It's hard for me to tellll myself_

_That you're the onnnnne,_  
_you're the one I loooooooove.'"_

Star didn't have time to think. He was too astonished and rapt in the song and Rebecca's voice as it spoke his inner most thoughts. It was as if the girl had peered into his soul and was vocalizing it.

_'What are you?'_ he wondered, mystified by the girl in green as she sang.

_"'Every time I see you, _

_I want to meet you, _

_And each time you leave me, I miss you so.'_

_"'Perhaps our friends all arouuund_  
_Find it hard to understand us,_  
_But you and I understand_  
_What no one else can see__._  
_And thaaaaat's what I've been looking for, _

_so I keep coming baaaack for more,_  
_Still you're the one,_  
_you're the one I love.'"_

Rebecca slowed her playing.

"_You're the one...I love.'"_

As Rebecca finished the last few notes, Star finally remembered to breathe.

* * *

Rebecca glanced over to the red-draped youth.

"So what do you think?" she asked.

Star sat quietly.

"Was I awful?"

He sighed.

"No. Not at all," he replied. "I'm just...well...speechless."

Rebecca grinned.

"So I managed to knock the wind out you, huh?" she said. "Perhaps I have a future in showbusiness after all."

"You're a good singer," Star nodded.

She looked up thoughtfully.

"Rebecca Chambers, police officer, S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team Medic, singer and ankle-stomper. I like the sound of that."

"You've also forgotten to add monster hunter to the list." Star pointed out.

She scoffed.

"Hopefully it's only just for this night," Rebecca said. "I'd hate to make a career out of this."

"You wouldn't want to?"

Rebecca shook her head.

"Not at all," she said. "To have so many people die and have them all come back from the grave to kill again...it's so..._degrading_. A person should be able to die with dignity and be in peace once they're dead. There's probably some out there who'd love to be in my shoes and imagine themselves to be real-live knights in shining armor come to rescue the damsels in distress and slay the monsters, but...I don't feel like a knight at all. I feel so...unclean."

She lowered her eyes.

"I feel like a murderer." Rebecca said quietly.

Star raised up a tentative hand to her shoulder, then paused, pulling it back.

"Bloody Umbrella," he growled.

"Hm," Rebecca nodded.

The teenagers sat quietly at the piano as the wind howled noisily outside.

"Would you like to do another song?" Star asked.

Rebecca nodded.

"Sure," she said. "This time you sing. I've done two songs already."

He nodded. "Very well. Any requests?"

She paused, thinking for a moment.

"How about you do your favorite song?" the medic suggested. "That way it evens things out between us."

The albino considered it.

"Fair enough." he replied.

Turning his eyes to the keyboard, Rebecca watched Star played the keys, drumming them several times, quickly at first, then slowing down, the sound soft and gentle as his eyes, the pacing very precise. After a prolonged introduction, he began.

_"'Moon high above in the summer sky.'"_

Rebecca's jaw dropped in amazement at the sound of his voice, the lyrics slowly drawn out.

_"'She too is watching you shining.'"_

The medic knew that the albino was a good singer from their time in the elevator shaft, but hearing it again, she was speechless. Even though it wasn't particularly loud, Star's voice had a low, understated and echoey quality, rich and full of power. It was so perfectly controlled, and yet even at a low volume, it was powerful enough to project and carry itself.

_"'Speak to her heart from up on high,'" _Star sang, his voice hauntingly ghostly and ethereal.

_"'Tell her I'm lonely and hiding._

_Speak to her heart from up on high._

_Tell her I'm lonely and hiding.'"_

Finally, Star let loose his full range.

_"'Oh moon above her shining,_

_Tell her, oh tell her I loooove her._

_Oh moon above her shining,_

_Tell her, oh tell her I loooove her.'"_

The albino played the keyboard, his voice lowered, his face grim.

_"'If by chance she dreams of me,_  
_Let the thought of me awake her._  
_oh moon forsake me not._

_Stay with me._

_Oh moonlight, stay with me.'"_

And then he stopped.

Rebecca clapped excitedly.

"That was amazing!" she said.

"Thank you," he nodded quietly.

"What was that song?" Rebecca asked.

"'Song to the Moon' by Antonin Dvorak," Star answered. "It was from an opera he wrote called 'Rusalka'."

The medic blinked.

"'Rusalka'?" she repeated, testing the word out.

"Yes. It's a type of Slavic water nymph."

"What is it about?"

"Essentially it is 'The Little Mermaid'," Star explained.

"Really?" Rebecca said interestedly. "Does it have Sebastian and Flounder in it?"

He frowned.

"You're thinking of the Disney film," the albino said. "Both are based off of the story by Hans Christian Andersen, but they're two different entities, one a little more based on the Czech myth. And no, Sebastian and Flounder aren't part of either."

Rebecca pouted. "Aw."

Star continued, "The opera is about a water nymph named Rusalka who falls in love with a human prince. In order to become human herself, she strikes up a bargain with a witch."

"And she loses her voice as a result," Rebecca spoke up.

"Correct, along with her immortality." the figure in red nodded. "The aria that I sang was a scene at the beginning of the opera where Rusalka is pleading for her friend, the moon, to tell the prince of her love."

"I see," the medic said. "Do they live happily ever after?"

Star sighed.

"No." he said simply.

"What happened?" she asked.

"The Prince ended up betraying and rejecting her," Star answered. "According to the terms of Rusalka's agreement with the witch, if Rusalka herself was unable to find true love, the Prince would die and she would be eternally damned. In the end, they ended up destroying each other with a kiss. The Prince's soul ascended to heaven at her commendation while Rusalka returned to the depths of the lake that she resided in as a demon of death."

Rebecca's eyes lowered.

"That's horrible," she said quietly.

"The union between the human and inhuman is often a doomed one."

Rebecca looked at him. "Is it?"

"A lot of the time within the context of mythology," Star nodded. "There are exceptions, of course. Pygmalion and Galatea, for one."

"Also Superman," Rebecca added.

Star looked at her curiously.

"Did he?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "There was a comic that came out two years ago. I have it."

"Hm." He said as he turned away.

Rebecca looked at him.

"You say the aria was Rusalka's song to the Prince?" she asked.

"It is," he nodded. "I just changed the pronouns so it wasn't so awkward for me."

"I don't know, Star, it is a romantic song, after all," she said with a cheeky grin. "It almost sounds like you were trying to tell me something..."

Star looked over to her, astonished. Seeing his face, Rebecca laughed.

"I'm kidding!" she raised her hands. Looking at him seriously, she nodded with a smile. "You are a really good singer."

The albino regarded her for a moment, then gave a nod.

"Thank you."

Looking back to the piano, he gestured to the keys.

"So...any other songs you want to do?"

Rebecca pursed her lips.

"Um...I don't really know, to be honest," she said. Getting up from the bench, she checked the shelf nearby.

"What are you doing?" Star asked.

"Just seeing if there's any good music we could-ah! I got something!" Rebecca called as she raised up some sheet music. Taking it back to the piano, she passed it over to Star, who then proceeded to glance at the title.

"Ah, very nice!" he said approvingly. "Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata'! A classic."

"You like it too?"

"I do," he nodded. "It was one of the first pieces I practiced. You?"

"My grandma and I used to play it together," Rebecca said as she settled back onto the bench beside him. "Could you play this for me?"

He gave a small smile.

"As you wish."

Opening it up, he studied the sheet music, then started to play the first few notes. Rebecca listened as he played and watched his face as his eyes narrowed in concentration. Before he could finish it, Star abruptly stopped, frowning.

"What's wrong?" Rebecca asked.

He exhaled.

"It's the keys," the youth said in irritation as he tested one repeatedly. "Why do they sound so stiff?"

Testing it again, he gave an annoyed scowl. Rebecca watched as Star got up from the bench and moved to the piano's right.

"I should have brought my tools with me," he muttered.

"You know how to fix pianos?" Rebecca said in surprise.

"Yes. I used to work as a piano tuner when I was younger," he said as he peered into the cover. "It was one of the things I picked up from the circus."

He squinted.

"What the hell?"

"What?"

"Take a look at this," he waved.

Rebecca moved to where Star stood and looked inside.

"Do you see that?" he said, pointing to a small grey device with a red light that rested on the soundboard.

"What is that?" Rebecca asked.

"I don't know," he said as he leaned in, "but it's definitely not part of the piano. I see some writing on it." Star squinted. "It says...'Trevor and-'"

Cutting himself off, the albino raised himself back up, then looked around the bar curiously. Looking to the floor, he stomped his foot loudly onto the ground, testing it.

"What are you doing?" Rebecca said curiously.

"...I think there's a secret room in here somewhere," Star said as he glanced around. "Could you play the song while I look around, Rebecca?"

Rebecca frowned.

"It might take a while," she said. "I'm pretty rusty with that song. I'll just practice for a bit."

He nodded.

"Okay."

Sighing, Rebecca sat back down onto the bench, then looked at the sheet music, humming it aloud and muttering to herself as she tried to determine the keys. Testing the keyboard, she began the song.

_'Good so far,'_ the medic thought.

And then she fell flat. Star looked back at her, raising a brow. Rebecca smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry. I did you warn you."

Star shrugged, then resumed searching around as she practiced and stumbled on various parts of the song over and over again.

* * *

Chris glanced up as he heard the piano, cringing at some of the sounds it was making. Redfield was no pianist himself, but he knew enough to know when it wasn't being played properly. From the racket, it sounded as if someone were playing with their feet and the piano was secretly begging for someone to put it out of its misery. For a moment, Redfield imagined it screaming in a shrill voice "Help me!" like in "The Fly". Shaking his head with a laugh, he reached for the door knob, then continued on.

* * *

Rebecca wiped her forehead.

"Any luck so far?" she asked.

Star shook his head. Around him, chairs were lying scattered.

"No," he replied. "Wherever it is, it's pretty well hidden."

Turning to her left, Rebecca cast a glance around. Near the jukebox and the commemorative photo of the mansion was a long concrete wall, conspicuously devoid of furnishings in front of it, probably the most barren spot within the bar itself.

"Could the secret door be there?" she asked, pointing to the wall. "From the way this place is laid out, that spot looks like it could have a secret passage since it allows for easier navigation."

The albino looked to where she pointed.

"That would be too obvious," he replied.

Rebecca shrugged.

"Well, we'll find out soon enough. I think I got it."

He nodded.

"Go ahead."

Placing her fingers onto the keyboard, Rebecca played the notes, the gentle sounds of 'Moonlight Sonata' mixing with the howling wind. Once she finished, Rebecca looked up proudly from the piano, folding her arms together.

_'Grandma would be so proud,'_ she thought.

There came a rumbling to her left, drawing both of their attention. Dust spilled from the wall as it withdrew into the ceiling, revealing a dimly lit secret room. Looking back to Star, Rebecca grinned.

"Told you," she said, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

Star let out a sigh.

"You were right," he said wearily. "My apologies."

She shrugged.

"Well, sometimes the simplest answers are the most obvious ones."

"Hm," he grunted.

* * *

Star curiously entered the passage. At the end was a bronze statue of a man dressed in Grecian robes holding what looked like vines, probably Dionysius, the statue itself mounted on a thick concrete pedestal, the metal old with age.

_'How apropos,'_ he thought to himself.

Beneath the statue was some sort of emblem in the shape of a shield. Turning to his right, Star saw a long glass window that was partially gated. Detecting movement, he raised his eyes to the glass, then jerked back with a start.

* * *

"Rebecca, take a look at this!"

"What is it?" she called back.

"I...I don't know," the albino answered hesitantly.

Rebecca blinked in confusion. Stepping into the passage, she found Star staring at something through a glass window.

"What are you-?"

He pointed to the window. Turning to face the glass, Rebecca's eyes widened, startled by what she saw.

"Wha?" she said uncomprehendingly.

On the other side of the glass was what appeared to be a small greenhouse with a fountain in the center and an old water pump in the back, but surrounding the fountain itself were one foot thick greenish-brown vines that were flailing around in the air.

"What is that?" Rebecca said softly.

"I'm just as confounded as you are," Star said. He then looked at her. "Do you think the t-Virus did this?"

Rebecca shook her head open-mouthed.

"I...I don't know," she said. "If it is, then that means the t-Virus is much, MUCH more dangerous than originally anticipated."

Star stared at the writhing plants. Something emerged from the grass. A shirtless zombie with long whip-like vines for arms wandered absent-mindedly around with roots protruding out from its head, chest, legs and one of its eye sockets, causing Rebecca to raise a hand to her mouth in disgust.

"Oh my god," she cried, appalled.

More started to emerge. Some were emaciated cadavers, just skeletons hanging from a thread with roots and thick orange seeds sprouting from their bodies. Others were literal walking plants with thick bulbous flower petals for heads.

"This is insane!" Star whispered.

Before Rebecca could even respond, she heard a rumble. Turning back to the passage's entrance, her eyes widened in alarm.

"OH NO!" the medic yelled, drawing Star's attention.

The teenagers ran back to the passage entrance as quick as they could. By the time they got back, however, it was too late.

They were locked in.


	7. Chapter Six: Reflections

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Six: Reflections**

Curien paced around the control room, his hand fidgeting with the lid of his father's watch.

"This should have been a simple operation," he said in a stern voice to his subordinate as he watched the monitor. "What the hell is taking so long?!"

"The subject is much more difficult to extract than originally anticipated," the latter replied.

"What of those bloody strays?! Have they been eliminated yet?!"

"We have confirmed reports that Chariot Type-027 has managed to eliminate some Kenfis hounds. We've also recovered what appears to be the remains of a Johnny specimen."

The subordinate froze.

"Wait...I'm getting a reading."

* * *

Jill gave an exasperated sigh.

_'Where am I now?'_ she thought in annoyance.

She was in a long winding corridor that was lit by candle sconces and lined with various mirrors and spears, but she kept getting misdirected, partially due to the bloody mirrors. Jill had encountered and dispatched a few zombies along the way, more often than not dodging around them to conserve ammunition, but she still couldn't for the life of her understand what the purpose of this room was other than to deliberately fuck with people. Two dusty stone cherubs regarded her with amusement as the B&E Specialist tried to figure her way out.

"Shut up," Jill said to the cherubs.

Winding around a corner, she continued on.

It was then that the Alpha felt something nagging at her mind; she had the distinct feeling of being watched, if not followed. Glancing over her shoulder, Jill studied her surroundings.

Nothing.

Shrugging, she continued onward, then took a right.

Jill jumped with fright as she bumped into her own reflection, letting out a yell.

"Oh my god!" she yelled, raising a hand over her heart. Looking in the mirror, she shook her head in disbelief. _'That's the fifth time that's happened! Whoever designed this room should die!'_

Jill then glanced guiltily down, wincing at the thought. If the zombies around here were any indication, chances were high that the person who had designed this room _was_ dead. A bloody waste. Letting out a sigh, Jill studied herself in the mirror.

_'We really are in a pickle aren't we, old girl?'_ she asked herself.

Wiping her forehead, she paused as she saw something in the reflection - somewhere further back behind her, hidden by a thick veil of shadow, she saw a pair of glowing white eyes. Raising her pistol, Jill kept her eyes focused on the mirror, then carefully aimed and fired two rounds.

The eyes were gone.

Turning to her right, she continued down the labyrinthine corridor when she caught sight of a zombie in casual clothing standing in front of a mirror, his skin red. Seeing her in the reflection, it turned around with a hideous snarl when a long clawed arm suddenly _reached out from the mirror itself_ and pulled the undead creature into it, the glass shifting and warping around like water.

"What the?"

When it finished, the glass reverted back to normal.

Jill stared, shaken by what just occurred.

_...What just happened?_

Part of her wanted to inspect the mirror. It must have been a trick of the light. A zombie didn't just _fade_ into the glass.

Raising up her pistol, she fired, the bullet causing the mirror to shatter. Nothing. Moving toward the frame, Jill studied the cracked glass, then looked at it from different angles. Puzzled, she pulled away, then took a left down another corridor before stumbling upon a door.

"Finally," she sighed.

Grabbing the handle, Jill pulled the door open, then froze, staring in shock as she found herself staring at...herself. Her doppelganger stared back at her, her face comically mirroring her own with her hand reached out, looking like she was in the midst of grabbing the door knob herself.

"Wha?" Jill murmured.

"Who are you?" the copy said in her voice, looking at her anxiously. "_What_ are you?"

_'This can't be happening!'_ the Alpha thought incredulously.

"I'm-I'm Officer Jill Valentine of S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team," she answered.

"But...that can't be!" her copy replied. "_I'm_ Jill Valentine!"

Before she could say anything more, the Alpha gave a sharp gasp as she felt something stab through her back and chest. Pain flared through her body as she felt something cut through her ribs and stomach. Her clone stared horrified while Jill coughed up blood and felt herself lifted up from the ground.

"H-help..." she stammered as she struggled to breathe.

Letting out a final gasp, Jill's voice trailed off as she rolled her eyes back, her vision fading.

* * *

The next thing Jill knew, she found herself at the doorway, staring at herself as a long clawed hand protruded out from her chest. Looking around in confusion, dazed and disoriented, she watched as her own body...or perhaps her clone's body...whatever the hell it was...was lifted up into the air, hoisted up like some sort of puppet or trophy. Peering from around her doppelganger's shoulder, a bald, stoic and goat-horned head quietly regarded her as it held her copy in its monstrous hand. Jill shook furiously as she saw the creature. Opening her mouth, Jill tried to speak, tried to scream, but the Alpha was so scared that she completely froze up, her eyes bulging from their sockets.

After a few minutes of impassive staring, the creature's face formed a hideous sharp-toothed sneer.

_**'So lifelike.' **_It spoke mockingly, its voice a deep, horrific, mechanical, disembodied and layered travesty that was made all the more terrifying due to the fact that it not only spoke without moving its lips, but also the fact that she _heard_ _it in her own head!_

Jill let out a shrill scream as she slammed the door and fired her weapon twice. Backing away, the Alpha turned around, then screamed as she fell hundreds of feet to the floor below, slamming onto her back.

As Jill felt the life trickle from her, she stared up to the black void above.

_'I don't want to die!'_ she thought desperately. _'Please god don't let me die!'_

The demon entered her vision and kneeled beside her. Jill trembled as she felt it gently caressing her face and forehead with its gigantic clawed finger, terrified tears running down her cheeks.

_'Chris...'_

* * *

Opening her eyes with a sharp gasp, Jill cast her eyes wildly around. Finding herself alone, the Alpha then felt her chest and body, checking for signs of injuries. Nothing. Leaning back with a sigh, Jill relaxed, her whole form shuddering.

_'That was horrifying!'_ she thought.

What the hell happened?!

Casting a curious glance around, she found herself beside a broken mirror. Jill blinked. Had she knocked herself out with a bloody mirror?

She frowned.

_'But it felt so real,'_ Jill thought. Even more, she didn't possess any injuries indicative of a head-on collision.

Jill looked around, puzzled by the whole thing.

Pushing herself off the floor, Jill stumbled forward and clung to a wall. She felt like a newborn baby testing out its limbs for the first time. Everything felt...different.

_That's weird. _

Massaging her forehead, Jill suddenly thought back to that...creature. What had Rebecca called it? The Magician? As the memory of it returned, she repressed a shudder of disgust. God, she could still hear the awful voice and the feel of its touch...

Wiping her face with the back of her hand, Jill closed her eyes and started to breathe slowly.

_'It was just a dream,'_ she assured. That was all it was. A dream.

Taking in a deep breath, Jill exhaled. Once she had calmed down, the Alpha straightened herself back up, then proceeded through the corridor. As she continued her search, Jill paused at a door.

Reaching out nervously, she could feel her heart beating loudly in ears as she turned the knob, dreading whatever was on the other side.

Thump thump. Thump thump.

Peering through the doorway, The Alpha let out a sigh of relief.

_'Finally!'_ Jill thought. An exit out of this damn room!

Just as she stepped through, Jill heard something that made her pause momentarily, then quickly turn around and continue onward at a brisk pace, nausea building inside of her. For a moment, she thought that she heard its _laugh _somewhere.

* * *

Rebecca and Star grunted as they pushed at the wall.

"Push harder," the former said between her teeth.

Letting out one final grunt of exertion, the teenagers strained and pushed with everything they had, then tore themselves away, staring at the sealed wall in defeat.

"Now what do we do?" Rebecca muttered.

"Why not radio for help?" Star suggested.

She looked angrily up at him.

"What?" he asked.

"That's your suggestion?" Rebecca said pointedly. "Call them up and tell them we got stuck in a wall?!"

"Where is the harm in calling?"

"Come on, Star! Haven't you been paying attention to the way they were treating us? 'Let us handle this, Rebecca,'" the Bravo medic said, speaking in a deep and overly exaggerated masculine imitation of Chris's voice before resuming normally, turning back to face the wall. "If they find out about this, it will be humiliating. I don't want to be laughed at."

Star lowered his eyes.

"...I'm...sorry," he said quietly.

Rebecca wiped her eyes.

"It's...let just find a way out of here before they arrive, okay?"

He nodded.

"If it's any consolation, Rebecca, you're not the one that ate dog food."

The girl gave a small laugh. Star sensed that she was smiling, although wasn't entirely sure.

"True," she said in a quiet voice.

Star glanced around.

"There must be some way to get free from this damn thing." he said, then paused. "Wait...I think I know how to get it open."

"You do?" Rebecca said eagerly, turning around to face him. "How?"

"See that statue down there?" Star pointed at the end.

Rebecca looked to where he pointed.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"When I came in the statue had a gold emblem beneath it that's shaped like a shield," he explained. "It's not there anymore."

Rebecca frowned.

"It must have dropped onto the floor somewhere," she said, approaching the pedestal with Star. "You check the right, I'll check the left."

She reached out when Star quickly grabbed her wrist.

"Wait," he said, eying the pedestal. "What if there's something down there?"

The medic considered it. "Good point."

She then raised her eyes back up to the albino.

"Could I borrow your coat?" she asked.

Star nodded, taking it off and handing it to her. Wrapping her arms protectively with his coat, she kneeled down and felt around the left side.

Nothing. Switching to the right, Rebecca gave a slight yell as she felt her hand brush against something angular.

"I think I got it!"

Pulling back, the Bravo medic straightened herself up as she unraveled her prize, feeling giddy like a child at a carnival.

"And now we can finally get-" Her excitement quickly faded as she uncovered an old dusty grey diary. "Sorry. My mistake."

Turning it away from Star, she blew dust and spider webs off from the journal, brushing it against the wall as she studied the writing on the cover.

"What do you have there, Rebecca?" Star asked curiously.

The Bravo medic stared, her form still as she saw the name on the cover, then looked up at him.

"You've got to see this," she urged, handing it to the albino.

Star blinked in confusion.

"Why? What is it?" he asked.

"See for yourself."

Taking it from her, Star looked at the title of the cover.

"'Personal Diary of..." he froze. "...George Trevor.'"

Opening the diary, the albino scanned the pages with interest, but as he progressed, the more the lines of his face seemed to harden, his eyes narrowing, his mouth and jaw clenching.

"What does it say?" Rebecca asked.

Star stared at the diary, his face shadowed.

"...Bastards..." he said in a hushed voice.

"What? What is it?"

_"'Nov. 24, 1967,'"_ Star read, _"'Eleven days have past since arriving on this estate. How did I end up like this? A guy in a lab coat came with a plate of skimpy meal and said to me, "Sorry to put you through this, but it's for security reasons." That's when it hit me. It all makes sense now._

_There are only two people that know the secret of this mansion, Sir Spencer and myself. If they kill me, Sir Spencer will be the only person that knows the secret.'"_

"Oh my god!" Rebecca gasped.

_"'But for what purpose?'"_ Star continued._ "'It doesn't matter now. It's too dangerous here. My family... I hope they are all right._

_I've decided to escape... Jessica, Lisa, I pray you are safe.'"_

Rebecca shivered, chilled by the sudden drop in temperature.

_"'Nov. 26, 1967 - How could I be so careless? I lost my favorite lighter–the one Jessica gave me for my birthday. Now it's going to be that much harder to get out this dark place._

_"'Nov. 13th- the date when my fate was sealed. My aunt was hospitalized just three days before. Jessica and Lisa said that they were going to visit her. I wish I could be there with them._

_But wait, even as I'm writing my memory is coming back to me more vividly. Just before I passed out, I remember the men in the lab coats said something like, "Most likely your family is already..." I pray for their safety.'"_

The Bravo put a hand to her mouth, shaking her head, appalled and horrified by what she was hearing.

_"'Nov. 27, 1967-"_

"That's enough," she said, raising a hand. "I'm sorry...but...I can't hear anymore of this."

Star nodded, his frown deepening as he stared at the pages.

"So much for the hope of meeting one of my idols, let alone the chance of having my future mansion designed by him," he said regretfully.

Rebecca shook her head.

"Bastards."

He nodded in agreement.

"I hope they all rot in hell," Star said.

"You and me both." Rebecca nodded, then looked to the sealed wall. "Does it say anything about how to get out of here?"

Star read through the pages.

"It says something in here about this mansion being booby trapped. Also it mentions..." he squinted, frowning. "'Tiger eyes'?"

"What does that mean?"

He shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine," he said, then paused on a page. "Rebecca, listen to this -_ '1st Detention, November 24, 1967. How could he have become this kind of man? What happened here? And what is the objective of this company called "Umbrella"?_  
_I was imprisoned in this room and time passed slowly. "The objective is to keep all this as a secret, and since you are an unknown... " One day, a man in a white blouse said this to me while bringing revolting food._  
_What secret is more important than a human life?_  
_Lord Spencer and me are the two only ones to know the secrecies of this manor, and if I die, he will be the only holder of this knowledge. Is it for that reason we have these creatures which prowl around the premises of the Manor?'"_

Upon hearing that, Rebecca whipped around with a start.

"What?!"

"That's what it says here." Star pointed.

Rebecca snatched the diary from the albino, reading the passage. She couldn't believe it.

"...But...according to Marcus...the t-Virus was discovered in 1978," the Bravo medic said. "If that's true...then...where did these other creatures come from?"

"Hadn't he written in one of his journals that the t-Virus was the result of combining another virus with leech DNA?" Star asked.

"I think so. Let me just check," Rebecca said as she took off her backpack and dug through the various notes and journals she found. "Ah, got it. You're right, it's a virus called 'Progenitor'."

Putting it away into her bag, the medic folded her arms together, her hand stroking her chin in thought. What was this so-called 'Progenitor' virus?

"What are you thinking?" Star asked.

She looked up to the albino.

"From what Trevor described, it's obvious that Umbrella had an outbreak before, albeit one of a smaller extent than this. Or...perhaps they've been battling it all this time? If so, it could hypothetically account for some of the local stories of ghosts and monsters that haunt Raccoon City."

The girl shivered.

"I'm scared, Star," Rebecca admitted. "To think that...all this time...Umbrella has been struggling to contain this thing right under our noses...it's so much worse than I thought. The sheer...unbridled...arrogance..."

The medic squirmed.

"Umbrella's a disaster, a ticking time bomb waiting to go off."

* * *

Chris heard someone screaming distantly. He looked around uncertainly. It sounded like...but he couldn't be sure.

"Forest?" he called.

The voice only shrieked in answer.

_Shit he needs help!_

Chris ran down the various corridors, making his way all the back to the west staircase. Climbing up, he circled around the rails all the way back to where the dining hall door was, stopping as he caught sight of a grey steel door with a plant decoration on it. Approaching it, Redfield stepped outside onto an L-shaped section of the west terrace, casting his eyes along the ivy-clad walls and the railed balcony. A shape caught his attention, his figure lying against a section of rail in front of him.

"FOREST!"

Approaching the fallen Bravo, Chris studied the man under the dim light. His clothing torn in places, Forest's entire body was horribly ravaged and bloody with peck marks everywhere, his eye sockets empty, oozing red down his cheeks, his ribcage exposed. Kneeling down, Chris stared sadly to the wreck that had been his friend. Putting a hand on his shoulder, the Alpha Point Man shook his head with regret.

_'If only I had gotten here sooner,'_ he thought.

Chris swallowed, letting out a sad sigh, then picked up his radio.

"Jill, do you read me?" he called.

"Jill here. Where are you?"

"I'm on the west terrace outside. It's at the top of the stairs through a metal door with a leaf pattern on it."

"What's wrong?"

"I just found Forest," Chris said. "...He didn't make it."

There was silence at the end of the line.

"Copy that." Jill replied. "Chris...I'm sorry."

Chris was about to respond when he heard something crash down with a thud from the other section of the terrace.

"What was that?!" Jill said.

Whipping to the source, The Alpha Point Man squinted his eyes as he peered through the darkness. A tall figure stood in the shadows with glowing red eyes. Raising his weapon, Redfield aimed, his eyes focused.

"Chris? Chris are you there?" Jill said on the other end.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

The figure said nothing. He just merely stood there. It looked like he was wearing a coat or a robe, but Chris couldn't tell. Moving to the other end of the L-shape section, Chris started to approach the gigantic shape.

"If you are armed, drop your weapon and put your-"

A fluttering sound cut the Alpha Point Man off as thick black feathers fell from the figure's coat into the light, causing him to stare bemusedly down at them.

"What the hell?"

Raising his eyes back up to the person, he watched as the "coat" started to unfurl. It was then that Chris realised his mistake; it wasn't a coat at all! They were _wings_! Massive, black feathered _wings_!

Before Redfield could even pull off a shot, the figure dashed forward with frightening speed and snatched him off the ground, causing Alpha to yell and drop both his pistol and radio as his back and head slammed into the wall behind him.

"Chris?! Chris are you there?!" Jill said frantically over the radio. "Chris please respond!"

Once the pain in his head ceased and the lights cleared away from his eyes, Chris strained and grunted as he tried to pry the vice-like grip from his throat, his feet flailing around in the air.

"Hold on, Chis - Joseph and I are on our way!"

Opening his eyes, Redfield's struggles ceased as he stared at the thing that pinned him to the wall.

The creature was enormous, a good eight or nine feet tall, but it was definitely no zombie.

Black and grey in color, the creature appeared to be some kind of...humanoid..._bird_!

Stretching out its enormous wings, Chris estimated that the thing must have a twenty, twenty-five foot wingspan. The upper thighs looked human, but from the knees down, the legs were _very_ long, thin and triple-jointed, reminding the Alpha Point Man of either a secretarybird or an ostrich, with strong grasping three-toed clawed feet like a hawk or eagle.

The hips appeared to be armored, if not mechanical. It was difficult to tell.

Lifting his eyes to its muscled torso, he saw part of the stomach and sides were covered thick coarse black feathers while the chest itself was bare and smooth, the left pectoral partially protected by a metal breastplate reminiscent to a Roman gladiator's that was held together by two straps, one draped around the left shoulder, the other under its armpit. The arms were strongly-built and covered in metal gauntlets, while the creature's hands were enormous, with two long delicate clawed fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand. Looking up to its face, Chris saw that it had a head like either a crow or raven's, with a thick black beak and a pair of long pointed ears protruding from the sides of its feathered crown that wiggled every now and then, but it was its eyes that caught his attention - clad in a pair of red-tinted goggles, the thing stared at him, the goggles' lenses whirring out toward him like the lens on a camera. As they zoomed in closer on his features, the more bizarre the thing looked; it almost looked like it had long stalks or mechanical cones protruding out from its eyes. Tilting its head curiously, the lenses pulled back to normal as a door nearby opened.

"Chris?" Jill called.

"What...the...fuck?!" Chris heard Joseph swore as Jill let out an audible gasp.

As the creature turned its freakish head to face the new arrivals, Chris used the distraction as an opportunity to wrench himself free. Letting out a kick to its torso, he felt the thing let go of him as it gave a surprised squawk as it stumbled backward, dropping to the cold hard floor. Letting out a wheezing cough, he clamored toward his weapon, snatching it off the ground as he regrouped with the others.

"Are you okay?" Jill said.

"Yeah," Redfield replied.

"What is that thing?" she asked.

"I don't know, but I think it's what killed Forest," he said, raising his weapon.

The creature turned around to face the trio. Spreading out its wings, it let out a challenging shrill screech, the moon illuminating it from behind beneath the reddish and purple sky.


	8. Chapter Seven: Hanged Man

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Mystery theme*: h t t watch?v=xam28 E  
**

**Chapter Seven: Hanged Man**

The terrace was quiet as Chris and the others uneasily regarded the bird creature with baited breath, both opponents waiting for the first move from the other side.

"How do you want to do this?" Jill asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "Kill Rodan before it kills us!"

Joseph nodded.

"Fine with me," he said as he raised his Mossberg, smirking. "Who wants chicken?"

Chris watched as he fired, the blast catching the creature in the shoulder, causing it to stagger back with a squawk. Leaping high into the air, the strange beast flapped its powerful wings, flying off the terrace some distance away before letting out a loud piercing shriek.

"Looks like I hurt it," Joseph said with satisfaction as he cocked his weapon.

Just as he was about to fire again, Chris raised a hand.

"Wait," he said. "Do you hear that?"

The Alphas looked quietly around, listening. It started off as a series of distant flaps and flutters, like someone shaking out a thick dish rag, done with a rhythmic beat. Casting his eyes around the terrace and at the trees below, Redfield unconsciously cocked his head to the side as he strained his ears as the sound grew louder. It sounded almost...tribal.

"What is that?" Joseph asked.

Jill looked around, narrowing her eyes.

"It sounds like...crows," she said.

It was then that Chris finally heard the cawing, the beat becoming cacophonous and angry.

The orange and purple sky started to darken as an enormous flock of crows flew toward the mansion, the air alive with dozens upon dozens of birds as the moon shined above.

"Jesus, look at them all!" Joseph swore.

Chris felt his ears hurt from the awful racket. Swarms upon swarms of crows were dotting the air, their caws mixing with the rhythmic thumping of their beating wings as they circled protectively around the strange bird creature.

"Open-fire!" Chris yelled.

The Alphas obeyed, firing upon the thick cloud of crows and their master, the blasts striking several of the former from the sky. Crows dashed from side to side, some darting toward the trio as they fired. A couple were already dead as they slammed beak first into the wall and floor around the survivors. One dead crow slammed into Joseph's shoulder, knocking him off balance as he fell to the floor with a yell as he accidentally discharged his shotgun into the door behind them.

"JOSEPH!" Jill yelled as she fired.

The Omni Man struggled to get to his feet when the bird creature suddenly swooped right in and grabbed hold of his shoulders with its feet, lifting him up into the air as crows darted protectively around it.

"HELP!" Joseph yelled as he flailed around. "HEEEELP!"

Chris aimed his weapon and fired, but there were so many birds that it was practically impossible to get a clean shot on his captor. Lifting Joseph a few feet off the ground, the creature slammed Joseph down hard onto the floor, causing him to let go his shotgun with a grunt before picking him up again.

* * *

Hanged Man's ear piece went off as it lifted the Alpha into the air.

"Hanged Man Type-041, what is the meaning of this?!" his master's voice said angrily at the other end. "Your orders were to not engage with S.T.A.R.S.! Cease and desist immediately!"

Before it could comply, the creature felt a sharp pain in its side, causing it to shriek.

* * *

Jill watched as the round caught the creature, forcing it to let go of their coworker and fly off as he fell back down to the floor, her pistol smoking. The Alphas gathered around Joseph, firing in all directions as they picked him off the ground.

"There's far too many! We need to retreat!" Jill yelled.

"No!" Chris said determinedly. "This bastard murdered Forest! It must die!"

"We don't have enough ammo, Chris! We'll get it next time!"

As Chris opened his mouth to respond, there came a moan. Turning back to the railed terrace ahead, he watched in horror as Forest rose back to his feet, his eyes pale and dead.

"No..." Redfield murmured.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hanged Man's earpiece went off.

"It seems he has been contaminated," his master spoke. "Collect the subject and disengage from the battle immediately."

Giving a nod of affirmation, the creature swooped down and folded its wings together, gliding toward the zombie, the claws of its hind legs outstretched and ready.

* * *

Chris saw the creature heading toward Forest.

"No! NO!" he cried, waving his arms. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Ignoring his pleas, the bird man plucked the undead Bravo off the ground by the shoulders, carrying him up to the sky.

"FOREST!" Chris yelled as he fired his weapon, his shots missing the creature as it flew higher and higher into the air, followed by a thick, cloudy trail of crows.

Lowering his weapon, Redfield watched helplessly as they disappeared into the distance, fading entirely from view, the caws long gone. The only sound he could hear now was his labored breathing and the wind.

"I'm going to get him back," Chris said, his eyes hard and determined.

Turning around to face the door, the Alpha Point Man was stopped by Jill.

"Chris," she said, shaking her head, "there's nothing you can do. Forest is gone."

He opened his mouth to argue, then paused as her words struck him to the core. He wanted desperately to believe that his friend was still alive, that he could be saved.

Surely there was something he could do?! Even if he was undead, there's always the possibility that some part of Forest could still be alive! Wouldn't there?! Surely he could be cured?!

That was when it hit him.

_'No. Face it, Chris - he's gone. There's no point in living in denial any longer. Nothing you can do will bring him back. If he isn't food for that...thing, then chances are high that the human part of him is gone.'_

"Shit," he whispered, then yelled, "SHIT!"

Facing the terrace again, the Point Man swept his hands through his brown hair. Pulling his hands away, he kicked a nearby wall in frustration, causing Jill to flinch. Turning back to the front of the balcony, he stared off into the distance, letting out a heavy sigh of regret. Staring off to where the creatures disappeared to, he didn't bother looking up as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Chris," Jill murmured.

Chris said nothing, his shoulders slumped.

"I should have gotten here earlier," he said quietly. "If I had gotten here sooner he'd still be alive."

"If you had gotten here sooner you would have been dead," she replied. "There was nothing you could have done."

He looked down, unconvinced. Looking to Frost, Chris nodded.

"You okay, Joseph?"

"Yeah, just a little sore," Joseph waved. "Just a few bruises, that's all."

"We should probably get Rebecca to look at you to make sure and patch you up," Jill said.

He grunted in reply.

"Someone is gonna need to tell her the bad news about Forest," Frost added.

Chris nodded grimly as he picked his radio up from the floor.

"I'll do it."

Jill put a hand on his arm.

"It would be better if we told her in person," she said.

The Alpha Point Man looked at her, then gave a slow nod in agreement. Giving one final look to the landscape ahead, Chris then turned around.

"Let's go."

* * *

Rebecca pressed herself against the floor, peering underneath the statue. Shaking her head, the medic stood up and dusted herself off.

"I don't see the emblem under here," she said.

Star frowned as he scanned the floor. "Where could it have gone? The last time I saw it, it was still in the statue."

"Well it's not there anymore," Rebecca replied. "Did you take it by any chance?"

"_How_?" The albino said incredulously. "I was standing beside you the entire time! There's no way on earth I could I have crossed over without you not noticing."

She nodded.

"True." The girl let out a sigh. "Well, unless we happen to find that thing, it looks like we're both stuck here."

Shrugging off her backpack, she took out Trevor's diary along with the one given to her by Chris.

"See if you can spot anything in there," Rebecca said as she handed the latter to the hooded figure. "There has to be something that tells us how to get out of here."

Opening them up, the teenagers scanned through the pages, checking and double-checking for some hint, reference or clue about this room.

"I don't see anything that makes mention of this spot," Star said, shaking his head.

Rebecca frowned. "Neither do I."

"I see a reference to some sort of creature in here, though," the boy noted. "A "skinned gorilla", apparently."

"I saw that too."

"A skinned gorilla..." he murmured. "Do you think this is in reference to the lizard men we encountered?"

She shook her head.

"They look vaguely ape-like, but skinned gorillas? I don't think so."

Star's mouth curled grimly.

"So another damn monster we haven't seen yet."

"Seems that way," Rebecca nodded as she took back the diary from him and stuffed them into her backpack.

Star glanced over to the window, watching as the horror show in the next room wandered about aimlessly.

"If only those bloody creatures weren't there," he said in annoyance.

Rebecca hummed in agreement as she sat down against the wall, shivering as she put the backpack beside her.

The albino glanced in her direction, noticing her reaction.

"Cold?"

She nodded again. Taking off his red coat, the boy approached and draped it over her shoulders. Rebecca smiled.

"Thank you."

He nodded and gave a small smile back as he sat against the wall opposite her, facing the medic. As the teenagers studied their surroundings, Star squirmed.

"So...any ideas on how to get out of here?" he asked.

"Nope. You?"

"No idea." he shook his head.

"Well, that makes two of us." Rebecca then shifted in discomfort. In the next room, the creatures wailed and moaned a hellish choir, the souls of the damned given horrible voice. "...Star?"

He raised his eyes up to her.

"Yes, Rebecca?"

"Do you think there's a God?"

He looked at her.

"Why do you ask?" he queried.

She shrugged.

"I just couldn't help wondering."

"Do you?"

"I...don't know."

As the silence returned, Star spoke.

"Do you think there is such a thing as a soul?"

Rebecca shrugged again.

"I don't know. I suppose so, although it's pretty obvious the people at Umbrella don't have one." she replied.

The albino scoffed. "Touché."

Rebecca leaned back against the wall.

"Do you think there's an afterlife?"

Star studied her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

The girl sighed.

"With all these zombies and monsters running around...with all these people dying around us...it just made me think about things." she answered. "I just...couldn't help wondering what happens next. What comes after. Like, when a person turns into a zombie, does their soul leave their body behind and move onto the next plane? Are they permanently stuck inside their own bodies, unable to move on unless someone puts them out of their misery? Are they...aware?"

The albino youth nervously shifted in his seat.

"Do their souls rot along with their bodies the more people they kill?...Or does the soul die the moment they turn, leaving nothing behind but a husk?"

Star considered her questions.

"A lot to think about," he commented. "What do you believe?"

The medic squirmed.

"I'm not sure. To be honest," she began, "...I'm...kind of afraid of the answer to that question. If on some level they are aware, that some part of their...humanity...exists, then I'd be no different than Umbrella. If nothing remains..." She shuddered. "I hate the idea of killing anything, let alone...justifying it."

Star nodded.

"It is an insidious thing, indeed, this 't-Virus'," he said thoughtfully. "Umbrella couldn't have chosen anything more horrible as a weapon. A weapon that can turn those dearest to us as weapons themselves...stripping them of everything we love about them..."

He shook his head with disgust. "As much as I hate to give those bastards any form of credit, there's one thing I can acknowledge about them with certainty; they have the unfailing ability to bring out the worst and use it to their advantage."

Rebecca nodded, then regarded Star quietly.

"...Could you do me a favor?"

"Of course. What is it?"

Rebecca bit her lip.

"I've been thinking about what Billy had said," she began. "You know those movies that he talked about? The ones about a group of people going somewhere and getting picked off one by one by someone or something? How it usually ended with a sole survivor or two?"

Star faced her uncertainly.

"...Yes?" he said, uncomfortable with the subject.

"...I was wondering if you could do me a favor...in the event I don't make it out alive."

The albino swallowed.

"You will," he assured.

"How can you know?"

"Because you are strong."

She scoffed.

"I'm not, Star," Rebecca replied.

"You are," he affirmed. "You are much stronger than you realize. You talked down a madman who was going to make us into his next meal. You have faced a plethora of monsters and survived them all. You saved my life. Multiple times, in fact. I owe you a debt."

She shook her head.

"You don't owe me anything. It was just dumb luck," Rebecca said. "In terms of the other stuff, I didn't do that by myself; it was with the help of Billy, Richard, Captain Enrico,...you. I'm not an action hero like Sigourney Weaver, I'm just a geeky tomboy who was lucky, that's all. And...and I'm worried that my luck is going to run out soon."

"Don't say that," Star said sharply.

"It's true, Star, which is why I want you to do something for me in the event I get killed."

He shook his head.

"That will not happen. You will make it," he said determinedly. "You will get to see your mother again. I'll make sure of it. Even if I have to fight through the entire bloody mountain and starve, I'll make sure you live. She needs you."

The albino looked like he was trying to keep himself in control, but his eyes were watery.

"Star," Rebecca spoke, "if I don't make it...if you happen to outlive me and manage to escape this place...tell-tell my mother that I'm sorry and that I love her. That...I'm sorry for failing her..."

Star looked down to the floor.

"I...am not...going...to let you...die," he said quietly, straining to utter the words.

She exhaled softly.

"You can't control everything that happens, Star-"

"Maybe I can't, but I'm not going to sit idly by and let it happen!" he retorted. "Otherwise...it would be the ultimate obscenity..."

Rebecca looked at him. "What do you mean?"

Star trembled.

"...The idea...of my outliving you...fills me with dread, Rebecca."

The Bravo medic stared at the albino, taken aback by his words.

"Why?"

He faltered, his voice lowering and softening. "How...can I meet your mother...and explain to her...why...I let...something...so beautiful...be destroyed...while a hateful blackened thing such as myself continues to exist instead of you?"

Rebecca's eyes softened as she shook her head.

"Star...you're none of those things," she said softly. "You're a good person, a kind person, and I trust you. It's because of that I want you to help my mother and tell her those things for me in case I die or...become...one of...them. Promise me that you'll do that for me...should that time come."

Star sat quietly, his eyes staring to the floor.

"That time will never happen," he said, then hesitated, "but...with that said...I'll do so...on the condition that...you do likewise for my mother...in the event that it's _you_ that makes it out instead of me."

Rebecca nodded.

"I will." she promised.

The albino nodded back, then glanced around.

"I wish this damn thing would open already."

"Yeah." she replied.

The teenagers waited awkwardly in the passage when they heard movement outside. Looking to the passage entrance, they pushed themselves off the floor and approached the wall.

"Hello?" Star called.

Nobody answered.

"Can anyone hear me? We need help! We're stuck!"

Rebecca opened her mouth to call out when the room around her spun, her vision darkening as she stumbled and swayed.

"S-S-Star!" the girl choked out.

Star looked back to her.

"Rebecca?" he said nervously. "Rebecca what's wrong?"

Rebecca rolled her eyes back as she fell backward.

* * *

"REBECCA!" Star yelled frantically as he caught her in his arms, his pulse through the roof. He then looked back to the passage entrance. "HELP! HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!"

The person said nothing outside. Instead, they casually tested the keys on the piano.

"IF YOU CAN HEAR ME OUT THERE, PLEASE! LET US OUT OF HERE! WE'RE STUCK IN A WALL! YOU CAN OPEN IT BY PLAYING MOONLIGHT SONATA ON THE PIANO!"

Still no answer.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, PLEASE! THERE'S SOMEONE HERE WHO NEEDS-"

He heard a moan, then looked back to the girl in his arms as she stirred.

"Rebecca?! Rebecca are you okay?!" he said.

Rebecca's eyes fluttered, then opened. At first, Star felt a surge of relief, but that quickly passed when she looked up at him.

_'Her eyes...what's wrong with her eyes?!'_ he wondered.

One of the things that made Rebecca so attractive to the albino were her eyes; staring into them, it was like stepping into a forest, full of life and energy. Staring into Rebecca's eyes had a sort of strange rejuvenating effect on the albino. Now, though...it was inexplicably..._different_; even though the girl herself looked unchanged, her eyes didn't shine like it used to. In fact, nothing of the mischievous spirit or warmth she possessed were present, if at all. Instead, she looked up at him with dull cold eyes, her expression like stone.

_'What's happened to her?'_

Withdrawing his hands, Star watched Rebecca as she stood there, staring up at him.

"Rebecca?" he said quietly. "Rebecca, are you alright?"

She didn't respond. Outside, the mystery person started to play an unknown tune on the piano*. Turning to the entrance, he listened to the song, tilting his head to the side in concentration as he tried to identify it. Unable to do so, the albino curled his lips in disgust. Although the song sounded almost classical, the tune was cold and sinister...and yet...something about it made Star's body stiffen and on edge as the music started to build and swell.

Feeling something caress his cheek, Star glanced back in surprise to see Rebecca touching his face, causing him to let out an involuntary shudder of disgust. Even her _touch_ felt wrong...

"Rebecca what are you doing?" he said as he gently pried her hands away.

Grabbing his chin, the medic turned his face to the side as she suddenly licked his scars. There wasn't anything romantic or erotic about this; the moment her tongue touched his face, it created a visceral reaction of disgust that surprised even the albino himself as he pushed her away.

"Rebecca STOP!"

As the girl stumbled backward, she looked up at him and smiled. God, even her smile wasn't the same! It was a cruel smile, a cold predatory grin that looked out of place on the girl's face. Rebecca never smiled that way, not even when she had pretended to be on Kenneth's side.

"What's the matter, little Star?" she said in a voice that wasn't hers. "Don't you want to fuck me?"

Star eyed the abomination before him, his hair standing on end.

"Rebecca," he said hoarsely, "if this is a joke, it's not funny."

"Rebecca" laughed.

_"'Twinkle, twinkle, little star,'"_ she sang,  
_"'How I wonder what you are!'"_

"Stop it." Star said quietly, his skin paling.

_"'Up above the world so high,_  
_Like a diamond in the sky.'"_

"Stop it, Rebecca." Star repeated.

_"'When this blazing sun is gone,_  
_When he nothing shines upon,_  
_Then you show your little light,_  
_Twinkle, twinkle, through the night.'"_

"Rebecca, please stop this," he pleaded.

_"'Then the traveller in the dark_  
_Thanks you for your tiny spark;_  
_He could not see where to go,_  
_If you did not twinkle so.'"_

Star eyed the girl in front of him, appalled and terrified.

"...Who are you?" he demanded.

"Rebecca" merely smiled.

_"'Though I know not what you are,_  
_Twinkle, twinkle, little star.'"_

The girl's grin widened as she took out her pistol.

"Let's play a game, little Star," she sneered. "It's called 'Who gets to die first?'"

"Stop this, Rebecca!" he yelled, eying the weapon in her hand with alarm.

"Will it be you?" She raised the weapon, aiming it at him.

"Rebecca, let's talk," Star said cautiously, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Put the gun down."

The medic then pointed it at herself, still smiling.

"Will it be me?"

"Rebecca please!" he yelled.

"Ah ah ah!" she finger-wagged. "Not until you decide!"

"Point the gun back at me! Rebecca I beg you, please point the gun back at me!"

"Rebecca" laughed, the sound cold and obscene, a bastardization of the Bravo's medic's voice.

"How pathetic," she said. "Oh how I enjoy watching you suffer, little Star! I have been waiting for this moment for some time! Now you shall have a taste of the pain that I have endured!"

Her finger started to squeeze the trigger.

"REBECCA DON'T! NO!" Star screamed as he ran toward her.

Click.

"Rebecca" blinked in confusion, then snarled as she tried pulling the trigger again. As Star shakily took the weapon from her, the albino let out a sigh of relief. Apparently she had the safety on.

"That's enough, Rebecca," Star said, his face damp with sweat, his throat constricting, his chest feeling like his insides were being squeezed.

The girl looked at him with a horrifying expression of fury and hatred, a look he had never seen before on Rebecca's face, not even when she talked of Marcus, nor even when she talked of her hated father. Just as she opened her mouth to make a retort, Rebecca let out a strangled cry of pain.

"Rebecca?" he said in confusion.

The girl fell forward, her eyes closed.

"REBECCA!" Star yelled as he caught hold of her again, carefully lowering her to the floor. "Rebecca?! Rebecca?! Rebecca are you okay?! Please say something!"

The medic stirred, then opened her eyes.

"Star?" she said, puzzled.

"Are you okay, Rebecca?" he asked as he eyed her nervously.

Rebecca groaned as she massaged her head.

"What happened?"

"Don't you remember?"

She shook her head.

"I remember blacking out," Rebecca answered. "Why? Did something happen?"

Star studied her, carefully. Her eyes and voice seemed to have gone back to normal.

What on earth was that? Was she infected?

_'Don't be ridiculous,'_ he said to himself. Diseases didn't make people behave that way. T-Virus certainly didn't; if she had been infected, she would have attacked and tried to bite him, not taunt and play games with him like that.

Rebecca didn't seem to be schizophrenic, nor did it seem like she had multiple personality disorder, and yet...what he witnessed was so utterly abnormal.

"Out of curiosity, are you on any sort of medication?" he asked.

"No, not at all." Rebecca replied.

_'It must be the head injury from the crash,'_ he rationalized.

Perhaps damage had been done to the frontal lobe, which was the part of the brain responsible for motor function, problem solving, spontaneity, memory, language, initiation, judgement, impulse control as well as social and sexual behavior. That could explain what he saw.

_'Could she be getting worse?'_ he wondered worriedly. If so, she needed to see a doctor immediately.

"Star?"

Hearing his name, the albino shook himself from his thoughts.

"Star, did something happen?"

He hesitated.

"Yes. You were...behaving strangely."

Rebecca pushed herself up.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Star regarded her curiously.

"Truly, Rebecca, do you remember nothing at all of what you said or did?"

"No, not at all. Why?" she said honestly. Rebecca's eyes then widened in alarm. "Did I hurt you? Oh god I did, didn't I?"

Star smiled. To hear and see the warmth in her voice and eyes return was such a reassurance to the albino.

"No," he answered. "Well...for a moment it seemed as if you were about to."

She lowered her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Rebecca said in a quiet voice.

Star kneeled down beside her, putting a hand onto her shoulder.

"I'm just glad you're alright," he said. "I was so worried about you."

"I wonder if the train crash gave me brain damage," Rebecca said worriedly.

"I'm not sure," he said honestly. "You seemed to be very steady and coordinated on your feet."

She then raised her eyes up to him.

"Star...I'm scared."

He gently squeezed her shoulder.

"So am I," he nodded, "but...I promise...no matter what happens...if you ever need me...I'll be by your side."

Rebecca looked at him sadly.

"Why? I'm a potential burden and danger to you and everyone here. Why would you want to be anywhere near me even after what I did?"

"You're not a burden. You never were." As Star stared into her green eyes, a war waged within him.

_'Tell her how you feel,'_ One side urged.

_'No, don't!'_ The other argued. _'Now isn't the time!'_

_'You're alone. She will be spared any sort of embarrassment.'_

_'No you wouldn't! Do you expect her to feel flattered that a literal circus freak has fallen in love with her?! You will only mortify her.'_

_'But you're not thinking impure thoughts about her. What you feel isn't lust, but love, chaste and true.'_

The albino closed his eyes.

_'Yes,'_ he thought,_ 'I love her. But...if I were to confess and she rejects me...I'll lose her friendship. I value that too much.'_

Part of him felt disgusted by his own cowardice, but what else could he do?

Star exhaled sadly.

_'She deserves better.'_

* * *

Rebecca watched Star's face in confusion. He looked like he was struggling to say something, as if he were debating with himself over something. His eyes were sad.

Rebecca lowered her own as she began to fear the worst.

_'There must be more to my condition that he isn't letting on about,'_ the medic thought.

"Rebecca?"

Lifting up their heads, the teenagers looked to the entrance.

"Wolf?" Jill called.

"Where did they go?" Joseph muttered.

"We're in here!" Star and Rebecca yelled.

"Where?"

"We're here!"

"It's coming from over there!" Chris said.

Rebecca heard a series of footsteps.

"Rebecca? Wolf?" Jill called.

"We're right here!" Rebecca called back.

"How did you get in there?"

"You have to play the piano to get this thing open!" Rebecca said. "Just play 'Moonlight Sonata'!"

"Okay, got it!"

Rebecca heard the footsteps recede, then the piano as the tune was performed. After thirty-seconds of fluid playing, the song stopped. Rebecca watched as the wall rumbled back up.

"Finally," the Bravo medic sighed. Pushing herself up to her feet, Rebecca staggered, causing Star to grab hold of her and act as support. "Again this feeling..."

"Do you need help, Rebecca?" Star asked in concern.

"Just guide me over to the piano bench, if you please. Also, can you grab my backpack?"

The albino nodded and complied.

"Are you okay, Rebecca?" Jill asked.

"I'm fine, I just need a moment," Rebecca waved as she was carried over to the bench. "I think the blow caused by Kenneth earlier must have caused me to faint."

"Do you mind if I take a look, Rebecca?" Chris asked.

"Can I sit down first?"

The Alpha Point Man nodded, helping Star move her to the piano bench.

Once she settled down into her seat, the medic gave a sigh of relief, then handed back Star his coat in exchange for her backpack as Chris examined her.

"Do you feel any deformities?" she asked worriedly.

He checked her pulse, eyes, then felt around her scalp. Once he finished, Chris pulled away, shaking his head.

"Just a small bump, but nothing serious," he replied. "You'll be okay."

The medic sighed, relieved.

"So how did you get stuck in the wall?" Chris asked in concern.

"We were just playing music when this secret passage opened," Rebecca explained as she shouldered her backpack. "We went in to investigate, then just...got...stuck."

"You tripped some sort of security system," Joseph said.

"No, not at all," Star replied as he put the coat and hood back on. "The emblem in that statue down there had been removed, causing it to shut us in."

"Emblem?" Jill repeated.

"Yes, it looked like a gold shield."

She raised her hand, showing the item in question.

"Is this what you're talking about?"

Star took the emblem, studying it in his gloved hand.

"Yes! That's exactly it." the albino raised his eyes to her curiously. "Where did you find it?"

"It was just on the keyboard," Jill replied.

Star blinked in confusion. "But...how is that possible?"

"Well obviously you two placed it there," Joseph said matter of factly.

"That's impossible," Rebecca shook her head. "Neither of us touched it."

Star looked around, puzzled, then froze.

"What?" Rebecca asked.

The albino raised his eyes back to the others. "By any chance, were any of you down here by the keyboard earlier?"

Chris shook his head.

"No, we were dealing with some sort of creature upstairs."

Rebecca watched as Star held his chin thoughtfully.

"Then...who was playing the piano?"

Jill shrugged.

"Maybe Barry stopped by," she suggested.

"If he had, he wasn't being helpful," Star said. "I was yelling at the top of my lungs for whoever to get us out from there."

"Did the person say anything?"

"Not a word," the albino shook his head. He cocked his head to the side as he looked back to Chris. "You said you encountered a creature. A lizard man, I suppose?"

"No, a bird man, actually," Redfield replied.

Rebecca and Star exchanged puzzled looks with each other.

"Uh, sorry," the former said slowly, perplexed, "but...did you say a..._bird_ man?"

"Yeah," Chris nodded, "but that's not the news I was going to tell you." He cleared his throat. "I'm afraid I have some bad news, Rebecca. It's...it's Forest."

Rebecca's eyes widened.

"You found him?" she asked.

Redfield's eyes fell.

"We did. So did the bird man."

The Bravo medic lowered her eyes sorrowfully to the floor.

"I see." she said quietly.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but we'll get through this, Rebecca," Jill assured. "Just stay here for a little while-"

Rebecca shook her head.

"Honestly, after being stuck in that room, I'd feel much better if I got out of here," she said.

"Okay," Jill nodded. "Well, maybe you two could wait back in the main hall while we check around the west wing for a bit. If you're interested, there's an art gallery that's worth checking out. Who knows? Maybe you two could find something there that Barry and I missed."

"We'll do that," Rebecca nodded.

As the Alphas turned around, Jill waved.

"Stay safe, Rebecca."

"You too, Jill."

The Bravo medic watched as the rest of her coworkers disappeared through the doors. Once they were out of sight, Rebecca looked sadly away, folding her arms together.

"What's wrong?" Star asked quietly.

She shook her head regretfully.

"I feel so helpless," Rebecca admitted. "So...useless..."

Star put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not your fault, Rebecca," he said softly. "Blame Umbrella, not yourself."

She shook her head sadly.

"I know, but it's just...I let Forest down."

"You did your best."

"Well my best wasn't enough," Rebecca said as she wiped her nose and eyes. Taking in a deep breath, she sighed. "Could I see the emblem?"

The albino complied with her request. Taking it, Rebecca studied the emblem curiously. On the shield were a pair of winged dragons that bordered an iron cross in the center, the cross emitting diamond-like shapes from its inner corners, which had the effect of making it resemble the Umbrella logo. Surrounding the dragons were some lettering, but Rebecca couldn't make out what it said.

"Any idea what this is?" she asked, pointing to the lettering.

Star peered at it.

"It's Greek," he answered. "Oso ypárchei zoí, ypárchei elpída. 'While there is life, there is hope.'"

Rebecca scoffed.

"Talk about karma," she muttered, stuffing the emblem into her pants pocket.

"Couldn't have come at a better time, in my opinion," Star said with some amusement. "Even though everything about this situation is awful...maybe we should heed its message and take heart in the truth behind it. Use it to help us push forward."

She shook her head.

"I don't like it, Star," she said. "I get the feeling that the reason why Umbrella put it there was to deliberately mock us. Laugh at us. Like they're playing a sick game with us or something, just like they had with George Trevor."

The albino considered her words.

"You may very well be right," he nodded. "That said, we only have two options. One is to stay here and wait for the end to come...or we could move forward, fight as long and hard as possible until we all find a way out of here."

"We could end up getting killed," Rebecca pointed out. "Or worse."

Star nodded.

"We could," he conceded.

"Even with that threat over our heads, you'd still want to move forward?"

Star looked at her.

"To be honest...I'm terrified. I'd rather not wade through the bowels of this infernal place. But...I'm much more afraid of what would happen to you and Father. If doing so can save you both...even...even if it costs me my life...then...so be it."

Rebecca gave a sad smile.

"You're sweet," she said. Pushing herself up, Rebecca tested her legs. "I think I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

She gave a thumbs up.

"I don't like our odds," Rebecca said, "but I think we'd probably better our chances of survival if we were to find Captain Wesker. If anyone can get us out alive, it's him."

Star nervously exhaled. As he did so, Rebecca, put a hand on his arm.

"Hey. Don't worry," she assured. "I'm sure Captain Wesker will be pleased to meet you. Everything will be alright."

The albino regarded her quietly, then nodded. Once he finished collecting his suitcases, the teenagers quietly left the bar, proceeding onward into the quiet night.


	9. Chapter Eight: Musings

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Eight: Musings**

The grandfather clock hammered on as Rebecca and Star stepped back into the dining room. Rebecca checked the time. Seven thirty.

She sighed.

"God, this day doesn't seem to end," the medic commented as she looked around the room. Turning her attention to the burning hearth, the Bravo listened to the crackling and pops of the fire, watching as the embers danced. Raising her eyes up to the mantle, Rebecca froze as she caught sight of a cracked bronze emblem hanging from the wall underneath a shield with a pair of crossed broad swords.

"I think I know what to do with the emblem we have," she said, pointing to the wall. "Do you see that one there? Try to see if you can pull it out."

"Okay," Star nodded as he put down his suitcases and stepped toward it. Grabbing it by the sides, he pulled, carefully wedging it forward until it came out, leaving an empty indentation in the wall. Once Star finished, Rebecca stepped forward and replaced it with the gold emblem.

The duo waited, looking and listening intently.

Nothing.

"Huh," Rebecca said. "I was so sure that-"

She screamed as the clock chimed, startled as the hour and minute hand started to wind themselves backwards, the 'All Through This Hour' melody echoing as the bell clanged over and over again.

DING! DING! DING!

The clock shifted over to the left, revealing a small niche in the wall as the ticking stopped.

"I stand corrected," Rebecca said aloud.

The teenagers stepped toward the niche, peering inside. A panel opened, revealing a pair of gears along with...another clock, only this one had some very unusual features; the numbers twelve, three, six and nine were replaced with a set of symbols that represented a knight's helmet, shield, Plackart (or chest piece), and sword.

Underneath the open slot was an inscription.

"'When the two have run each other through, the path to your destiny will open.'" Rebecca read, then looked up. "I think I got this."

She turned the large gear to the right, only instead of moving the hour hand as she expected, it moved the minute hand over to three. Turning it to the left, The Bravo frowned as it returned back to the knight's helmet.

"The minute hand is all messed up," Rebecca said.

She turned it again to the right, then watched with dismay as the minute hand returned to number three. The medic let out a frustrated sigh.

"Damn, this is going to take a while." she muttered. "Help me find a way to get the minute hand to number two."

The duo played with the gears, watching as the hour and minute hand swirled in directions they didn't want to. After several minutes of fidgeting, Rebecca pulled away and let out an annoyed growl, repressing the urge to pull her hair out.

"Ugh, this is so frustrating!" Rebecca cried. "Why the hell couldn't it be a simple key?!"

"Nothing is ever simple with Umbrella, unfortunately." Star noted with distaste.

Stepping back, the teenagers studied the outline.

"So, any ideas?" Rebecca asked.

Star put a hand to his chin.

"When the two run each other through..." the albino murmured. "Perhaps we've been going about this all wrong?"

The girl in green blinked. "What do you mean?"

"We've been approaching this as if it were a numbers game. Given the fact this thing features iconography, maybe it's more of a matching game?"

Rebecca raised her eyes in understanding.

"Ohh, I see! That actually makes sense," she nodded. "That could explain why the hour and minute hand aren't moving onto the actual numbers themselves."

Stepping forward, Rebecca looked at the images.

"A helmet, a shield, armor, and sword," she murmured. "So maybe we have to have the sword pointing to the shield."

Star frowned. "But that wouldn't make sense."

"Why not?"

"The inscription said when the two run each other through. A sword isn't going to run through a shield, it's going to be deflected."

Now it was Rebecca's turn to frown.

"Good point." her eyes perked up. "I know. Maybe we have to connect the sword to helmet."

"I was going to suggest sword/torso."

The teenagers paused.

"Wait a minute," Rebecca started.

"Torso/helmet!" the youths said at the same time.

"Of course!" Star exclaimed. "When the two run each other through! That makes perfect sense!"

The albino turned the large gear to the right, causing the minute hand moved over to the shield, then to the Plackart. Rebecca adjusted the smaller gear so that the hour hand pointed to the helmet. Once they were aligned, there came a click. The dial swung open, revealing a vault with a bronze key inside.

"YES!" Rebecca cheered, whooping loudly as she raised her fists to the air, doing a little moonwalk before spinning around on her heels.

Star stared at her nonplused, blinking bemusedly. Realizing the awkwardness of the situation, Rebecca cleared her throat and folded her arms behind her back.

"Well...um...I mean...we did it," she said, smiling sheepishly.

Star's eyes twinkled with amusement as he regarded her, then let out a soft laugh as he shook his head.

"That we have." Turning back to the vault, he snatched up the key, studying it curiously. "Now we have to figure out where this thing goes. I don't see any label anywhere."

"Do you mind if I take a look?" Rebecca asked.

The albino nodded, handing the item over for her. Holding it up into the light, the Bravo medic studied the bronze key. On the handle was some sort of insignia representing a shield. Tilting it at different angles, she tried to find some sort of label or clue as to where this particular key went. Finding nothing, Rebecca lowered it down, shaking her head in dismay.

"Nope, I can't find anything either, I'm afraid," she said as she pocketed it. "We'll find out eventually."

Rebecca watched as the red-draped albino walked back toward the fireplace, reaching up for the shield and swords.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Just trying to get a weapon," Star said as he tried prying them from the wall. He shook and jostled one of the swords around vigorously.

"Star."

He jostled them more, pulling harder.

"Star-"

The shield and swords fell down with a clatter onto the floor.

"Star, stop!"

Star grunted as he tried wrenching a sword free.

"Star, you can't just walk around carrying that along with your bags, it's too heavy!" Rebecca said. "You'll reopen the wound on your shoulder!"

The albino looked up at her as he continued to pull.

"I don't have anything to protect myself with, Rebecca," he said. "Even a stick would be preferable to nothing."

Straining with all his might, the albino stumbled backwards as the sword broke under his grip, leaving only the handle. Raising it up, Star studied what was left, his lips curled in disgust.

"Cheap piece of garbage," he muttered as he threw it aside with a clatter.

Taking off her backpack, Rebecca felt around, then took out Kenneth's pistol and radio.

"Here," she said, offering them to him. "I grabbed these while we were at the stairs. Take them."

Star hesitated, then took hold of the items, nodding gratefully. "Thank you."

She winked. "No problem. My radio channel is on three in case you want to contact me."

Once she finished showing Star how to work the radio and switch channels, the albino stuffed it into his coat pocket, turning his attention to his weapon. Ejecting the clip, he checked how much ammunition he had.

"I have a full clip here. Are you in need of any ammo?" Star asked.

"I'm fine," she answered. "I have six rounds."

The albino emptied his clip and divided up the bullets, handing out nine to her. "Take them."

"Really, Star, it's okay."

"Every bullet counts, and if these creatures are as durable as those last two, then you need them more than I do," Star urged. "Take them."

Rebecca hesitated, then nodded in agreement.

"You're right," she said as she took the bullets. "Thank you."

Giving her a nod, Star inserted the clip back into his pistol, then slipped the weapon into his pocket.

Once Rebecca finished, she holstered her weapon.

"Well, I guess we're about done here," she said.

Star reached down to pick up his bags. "So where to now?"

Rebecca thought for a moment.

"Would you like to start off with the exhibition room?" she asked. "I'm sure we're bound to find something there that could be useful."

The hooded albino shrugged. "Sure."

As the youths departed for the main hall, one of the bodies stirred behind them unnoticed.

* * *

Joseph glanced around the massive kitchen as he replaced the Mossberg with his pistol. It must have been luxurious at one point in time, but it had been neglected for so long that it was a shade of its former glory; white tiled walls were filthy and grey, while the floors were covered with something, probably mould, although there was an unidentified reddish substance as well that Frost had no desire to think about, the stone floor cracked. In the center of the kitchen was a long brown preparation table with a large scummy-looking metal pot on top of it, while dangling above the table itself was a cutlery rack. At the very end of the room was an old-fashioned elevator with gated doors, but it was inoperable due to lack of power.

Joseph winced in disgust at the state of the table. Maggots and worms were crawling on uncooked and unrefrigerated pieces of meat.

_'What kind of meat is that?'_ he wondered. Roast? Steak?

Unable to identify it, he looked away, turning his gaze over to the dishrack and the sink at the side before letting out a nauseated groan as he saw unclean dishes with maggots writhing around.

"Christ on a bike," he said aloud.

Turning around, he shifted his attention to the cabinet in the left hand corner that stood beside the steel fridge and freezer. Glancing along the various bottles of spices curiously, he paused at the second row, then reached inside, pulling out a small silver key.

"Huh," Joseph said aloud. "Wonder where this goes."

Putting it into his pocket, the Alpha curiously approached the freezer, then pulled it open. Upon revealing what was inside, he leapt back with a start.

"Jesus Christ!"

Turning around, Frost doubled-over and threw up onto the floor, then threw up again as he caught sight of the maggots wiggling about. After what seemed to be an eternity, the Omni Man got up shakily, wiping his mouth as he raised his radio.

"Hey Chris, you there?" he called.

"Chris here." Came the reply. "Everything okay, Joseph?"

"I'm in the kitchen," Frost answered. "You're not going to believe this, but they have a fridge and freezer full of human bodies and body parts."

"WHAT?!"

"I'm serious, man! It could be that they're feeding human prisoners to whatever creature they had in captivity, but I think there's a possibility that they've been feeding their own employees human flesh!"

"Oh god!"

There came a sound at the door that he came in from.

"I'll talk to you later, Chris," Joseph said into the radio. "I think I have company."

"Do you need assistance?"

"Negative, I can handle it."

"Okay. Stay safe, Joseph."

"You too, buddy. Over and out."

Raising his weapon, Frost carefully treaded toward the door, his heart thumping in his chest.

Bump bump. Bump bump.

Just as Joseph reached for the handle, the door slammed straight into his frame, knocking him off his feet with a grunt. Looking up from the stone floor, he barely had time to react as a long three-clawed arm snaked itself out and grabbed him by the ankle, his leg threatening to snap under its vice-like grip as it suddenly dragged him through the doorway. Joseph screamed as he slid along the floor. He couldn't see his attacker, but he knew that he was moving fast, incredibly fast.

Impossibly fast.

Joseph felt himself flying and spinning around as his own body slammed into passing walls, the floor, even the ceiling. The whole world was moving so fast that he had trouble recognizing where he even was. Lines faded entirely from view, replaced with streaks of color, a lot of it hard to identify due to the fact that they lasted only a second, if not a fraction of that. Joseph's screams were replaced with gags as he hurled to the side, spraying as the Alpha felt the cold breeze against his face as he held his eyes shut. The world spun around him as his body was flung and dragged in impossible angles, slamming into god knew what before ultimately being slammed face first through a door. Frost cried out as his whole body rolled along the carpeted floor, stopping as his side hit a corner wall. The Alpha dazedly tried to push himself up onto his hands and knees, stumbling and falling over onto his back as he lost balance. As he lay there helplessly on his back, the whole room spinning around him, Joseph saw something looming from the corner of his eye. It was big, that he could tell just from looking at it, but because he was seeing double, triple or quadruple, the Point Man couldn't really get a good look at it. It was only later that he recalled seeing pale eyes and horns.

The figure came toward him, then stopped. Frost wondered why until felt the floor shake as something massive approached. The last thing he heard before blacking out was a loud whale-like moan.

* * *

Rebecca looked around at the various paintings, then joined Star as he studied the statue in the middle.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

He smiled.

"Looks like we found your namesake," he nodded to the statue.

Rebecca looked at the label curiously.

"But it says 'Woman Drawing Water' by Victor Barclay, Commissioned 1980,'" she said.

"Yes," Star nodded, "but one of the most common and iconic depictions of Rebecca is her drawing up water from the well."

"Ahh," Rebecca nodded. Looking up to the jug the statue carried, the medic tilted her head. "I think I see something up there. Can you kneel down and give me a boost?"

"Sure," the albino said as he put down his bags and got into a kneeling position, holding out his hands. Climbing up onto his shoulders, Rebecca shakily reached up and felt around, then stopped.

"I got it!" she said excitedly. "WHOA!"

The medic wobbled unsteadily, then let out a yelp as she was caught bridal style by Star.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Rebecca blushed as she looked up at him, clearing her throat.

"Um...yeah," she answered. "Thank you."

She cleared her throat again. "You can put me down now."

He gave an amused smile.

"Are you sure? You seem to have a penchant for getting into trouble," Star said. "I get the feeling you like being carried bridal style."

Rebecca's eyes widened at the accusation.

"WHAT?! No!" she exclaimed. "I mean, well, yeah, I do. It _does _feel nice and I've always wanted to be- why you!"

Star laughed boyishly as she swatted him upside the head. Putting her back down, he chuckled.

"Are you amused?" Rebecca said sourly.

The hooded albino grinned. "Oh I am!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Hardy har." the Bravo replied, then looked at the scroll in her hand as she unraveled it. "Let's see what we have here."

Drawing it open, she saw various lines with labels.

"Well, it looks like we finally have a map of this place," Rebecca said as she and Star studied it. "Or rather...part of one." She then pointed to a section. "That's where we are now. According to this map, it says there's a room...down..." The medic raised her eyes up, then pointed to the room with the red curtains. "There."

Picking up his suitcases, Star looked up, then curiously stepped forward, pushing aside the red drapes, then looked back to her.

"Are you sure?"

"It says so on the map."

Following him inside, Rebecca watched as the hooded albino looked around the room. Various pieces of furniture were covered with canvases. Star glanced about, then paused, approaching a wall that had a massive picture of Neumeier Castle. Putting one case down, the albino then reached out and knocked, testing it. Pulling away, he looked back to her.

"I think I found it." he pointed to the door. "I see a keyhole here. It's barely noticeable."

Rebecca stepped forward, fumbling around her pockets before pulling out the key and inserting into the lock. She jiggled it around.

Nothing.

She frowned.

"Wrong key," Rebecca sighed.

Star looked at the door, studying it.

"Maybe if I..." he trailed off, getting into a stance. Lifting up his foot, he slammed into the handle.

Rebecca moved beside him.

"On three," she said. "One. Two. Three!"

Using their combined strength, the teenagers kicked the door open.

"Alright!" Rebecca clapped her hands together. "Shall we?"

Star nodded, stepping inside with her. Rebecca's excitement turned to disappointment as she looked at their newest discovery.

"Oh...it's just a closet," she said.

It was a large white room that had a mirror close to the doorway and two pipe clothing racks on both sides close to the wall, with various suits, dresses and costumes on hangars. Overhead were some shelves, one of which had a football helmet along with a black suitcase and various shoe boxes.

"Boy do I feel stupid," Rebecca said aloud.

"Look at all these clothes and costumes!" Star murmured in wonder as he looked around. "God, some of these suits I know are worth a fortune!"

The medic shook her head enviously. "It must be nice to be rich."

"No kidding!"

Rebecca studied the various suits and costumes.

"Why are there so many?" she wondered, almost to herself.

"Perhaps Lord Spencer likes to have masquerade parties on certain occasions," Star suggested.

"Hm," she hummed in agreement. "I'm almost tempted to try some of these on..."

The red-draped albino turned to face her. "Since we're here, would it be okay if you could wait outside? I want to get out of these clothes."

"Why didn't you change earlier?"

"I didn't really have the chance to do so, what with Officer Sullivan's attempt on our lives, Officer Redfield hitting me in the face and so on."

"Fair enough," Rebecca conceded. "Don't take too long, though. This place _really_ gives me the creeps."

"I'll try to be quick."

Stepping back out into the red room, Rebecca closed the door behind her.

Or rather, tried to. Grabbing the handle, she pulled the door back into its frame, then let go, watching as it swung back open an inch or two. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Rebecca continued to play around with it, but no matter how many times she tried to shut it, the door wouldn't close properly; it kept opening partway.

As she reached to grab the door once again, Rebecca paused as she heard Star murmuring to himself. Curiosity got the better of the Bravo as she peered inside.

_'What's he doing?'_ she wondered.

The albino was pacing about back and forth with his hood drawn back, clearing his throat, straightening himself nervously.

"It's nice to meet you, Father." he said, then frowned. "No, no, no."

Star took in a deep shaky breath, then smiled, holding out a trembling hand in greeting.

"Nice to meet you...Dad." The boy in red paused, then winced. "No, that's too familiar and informal."

_'...Dad?'_ Rebecca repeated mentally.

She tried imagining Wesker's reaction to being called 'Dad' or 'Daddy', causing a huge grin to form on her face. Rebecca did everything possible to keep herself in check, repressing the urge to giggle.

Inside, Star cleared his throat.

"Father, I-" Star scowled. "No, no, no." He smiled again. "Captain Wesker, I-"

The albino's smile dropped as he swept his hands through his silver hair, letting out a frustrated and animalistic growl.

"God, what's wrong with me?" he muttered.

Rebecca smiled as the albino youth paced about. He was so anxious to meet his father that his whole being was jittery; even his legs were shaking. He looked rather cute.

Star cleared his throat again, standing straight like an arrow as he held out his hand again.

"How do you do?" he smiled, shaking an imaginary hand. "My name is Star and I'm your son."

The youth in red's smile faltered as he exhaled through his nostrils.

"No," he said to himself, wincing. He took in a deep breath again, then smiled, keeping it small, trying to look as friendly and as unintimidating as possible.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain," he shook the imaginary hand again. "You may find this hard to believe, but...I'm...your son."

He paused, then repeated himself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain," he smiled, holding out his hand in greeting. "I've heard all about you. You may find this hard to believe, but...I think there's the possibility that you are my father."

Star froze, placing a hand on his chin in thought, then nodded to himself. Letting out a nervous sigh, he unbuckled his coat, putting it on top of one of the clothing racks nearby as he started to unbutton his shirt. At first, Rebecca was going to turn away to give Star some privacy, but when the albino pulled the garment off from his shoulders, she couldn't help but turn back and watch. Seeing the albino without his shirt on, the Bravo medic couldn't help but feel some level of...intrigue. She had never in her life seen an albino, let alone in person, nor she had ever seen skin as pale as Star's.

_'So white!'_ Rebecca thought in wonder.

It looked whiter than snow, whiter than a sheet. Whiter than this room, even, if such a thing was even possible, which in turn made the black stitching around his shoulders seem all the more pronounced and noticeable.

The scars on his face, chest and back were all horrible to look at no matter the lighting, and yet...Rebecca couldn't help appreciate his other attributes. His form, though long and wiry, had some good muscle tone, and his face, though scarred, was nice to look at. Rebecca tilted her head at different angles.

_'Maybe if his skin was a little pinker, his hair different color...'_

She tried picturing Star without the scars, then tried to mentally compare his visage with Wesker's.

The medic frowned.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find any point of resemblance between the two. Not to say that the albino was ugly - far from it! Star was a_ very_ good-looking boy, but Rebecca had a feeling that he would look _so_ much better without those blemishes and peculiarities. If the albino possessed _any_ features from Wesker, she determined, then it would _have_ to be his eyes.

Rebecca then tried to imagine Wesker with Star's condition, then shuddered. She couldn't help it. It was a creepy image.

As she studied the albino's scarred torso, a thought suddenly occurred to her.

Was Captain Wesker...as badly scarred as Star himself?

Rebecca wanted to dismiss the idea that her beloved Olympian could have any fault, moral or physical, and yet...she had never seen him without his shirt.

_'Perhaps we should investigate and find out, just to be sure,'_ part of her naughtily smiled, causing her to blush.

Down, girl, down!

Retracing her thoughts, Rebecca continued to ponder, turning away from the door. If Wesker was as scarred as Star, then perhaps something happened to the two, but what?

The Bravo frowned. _'Okay, back up. That's waaaay too far beyond the scope of what we know already. Here's what we know so far - Star has a genetic disorder known as Cat's Eye Syndrome, a condition Captain Wesker may or may not have. We also know that Star is heavily scarred and has been branded. What does that tell us?'_

Rebecca pondered, and pondered, and pondered, until finally an unexpected and startling thought crossed her mind. It was so dark and surprising that Rebecca herself was caught off-guard by it, for she had never would have considered it in a million years.

Could it...be...possible that..._Captain Wesker_...was responsible for this?

_'No!'_ her mind immediately protested. How could she even think such a thing?! Captain Wesker was a good man, a _wonderful_ man! He would never do anything so cruel!

And yet...to a certain extent, Rebecca could see various possible scenarios in terms of how it all played out.

_Wesker was involved with a woman, a girlfriend, prostitute, or maybe someone from out of town. They see each other, and eventually it results in Star. Horrified by what was birthed, Wesker refuses to be part of its life until one day the mother comes asking for support. Perhaps Wesker...attacked and horribly injured Star, then, in a panic, brands the albino's back in order to shift blame onto cultists, then sends him away out of regret, if not disgust. _

She frowned.

_'No,'_ Rebecca thought. From the damage on Star's person, this wasn't some spur of the moment thing, it was deliberate and had been going for a _long_ time. Someone _wanted_ Star to suffer. Someone _wanted_ him to feel pain. Even more, someone tried to patch him up, albeit clumsily.

A new narrative formed in her mind.

_Wesker comes home from work, disgusted by the sight of his albino (bastard) son, the child scarred from previous outbursts. Taking a beer from the fridge, he tries to cope with the stress of the job combined with the child's crying/presence. The mother had left them both ages ago, leaving the Alpha Captain alone to play both mother and father. But Wesker couldn't handle being a parent; frustrated, tired and angry, perhaps coming off from a bad case, maybe even drunk, he lashes out angrily at Star over something he did or said, or maybe something he didn't do such as clean up after himself, put away his toys, etc. Whatever the cause, Wesker hurts the albino so severely, it results in his arms being damaged and a horrible wound on his neck and chest. Panicking, he takes the child to be fixed up somewhere, maybe some dark, dingy alley doctor. The boy doesn't wake up, leading the Alpha to believe that he had inadvertently killed him. Picking up the wounded, possibly even drugged out child, Wesker drives on for hours and dumps the body off in Louisiana, or perhaps has someone, a friend or relative, do it, unable to deal with the pain and guilt._

Rebecca put a hand to her mouth, horrified by such a possibility.

If such a thing were true...then...Star and her were so much more alike than she realized. The difference between them would be that the former would have had it so so much _worse_.

_'Hold up just a second,'_ Rebecca thought to herself. _'You're getting ahead of yourself, girl. This is just one possible scenario. What are the other possibilities?'_

The Bravo tilted her head in thought.

_Wesker becomes romantically entangled with a woman. They have such strong feelings for each other that it ultimately cumulates to Star's birth. They live together happily until one day Wesker crosses the wrong people. These people capture and torture his lover and child, resulting in the former's death and the latter to be horrifically scarred. _

_'Okay, that sounds a little more likely,'_ Rebecca thought. But if someone took Star, then who?

Cultists? The Mafia?...Umbrella?

As the last name crossed her mind, a darker narrative started to form.

_Wesker crosses Umbrella...somehow. Maybe he was on a case, a case where the trail was leading to something connected with Umbrella, perhaps not even realizing they were in the picture. Umbrella threatens him through intermediaries, but Wesker is too forthright, honest and determined to turn away. Umbrella kidnaps...and...experiments...on his lover...and...child. The former dies, perhaps becoming a zombie, assuming she wasn't disposed of. The latter, however, manages to survive due to his having inherited 'Cat's Eye Syndrome' from his father. Unfortunately, his being infected with T-Virus results in severe forms of albinism and eye discoloration. They attempt to dispose of Star, perhaps mistaking him for dead, then...he...escapes._

Rebecca's eyes widened.

_'Oh my god,'_ she thought, _'I think I figured out what happened to Star!'_

Her initial reaction was to let out a cheer, but as she let the thought sink in, Rebecca began to realize the implications behind her thinking.

If she was right, then Star...

Turning back to the door, Rebecca worriedly regarded the room's occupant, fearful _of_ him just as she was fearful _for_ him.

_'Maybe that's why the leeches left him alone, because he was already infected,'_ Rebecca thought.

A flurry of images and voices assaulted her all once, each one vividly recalled.

_"He just has this - vibe!" _Aiken's voice echoed.

_"I don't know! I don't know how to describe it! I just keep getting the feeling that something is wrong with him!"_

_"Isn't it odd that out of all this - the leeches, the creatures and everything else - that he alone had survived the initial attack on the train?"_

_"...What if I am one of Umbrella's beasts?"_ Star's voice reverberated distantly._ "Could it be possible that I am one of Umbrella's creations and the company has come to...collect?"_

_"I kept getting the feeling like I was being watched and followed. Hunted."_

_"Animals generally don't seem to like me."_

_"Usually they react as if they're afraid of me."_

_"...I'm afraid of hospitals." _

_"I just get queasy whenever I'm in one or when I meet someone in a white coat. I faint at the sight of needles."_

It was all starting to make sense now! Umbrella must have been searching for Star after all these years and sent these Arcana creatures to collect him! No wonder why he was afraid of hospitals and needles; if it had happened to Rebecca herself, she would be just as frightened!

As Rebecca pondered, she felt something slip from her memory.

_"Rebecca," _Star's voice said hesitantly._ "...If it turns out that I am...if I pose a threat to either you or your team...you have my permission to destroy me. I would rather die than let them use me against you."_

Rebecca squirmed uncomfortably, troubled as she conflictedly looked to the pistol in her holster, then back up to the door.

_'What should I do?'_ she wondered.

Should she...kill him? To spare him from further suffering at Umbrella's hands? To save her team in the event that he becomes volatile? To save him from...losing himself? His soul?

Rebecca felt sick at the idea of contemplating murder. She liked Star, but by the same token...she had no idea what to do.

_'Back up a second,'_ the medic thought to herself. _'These are just theories, nothing more, nothing less. There's nothing conclusive about any of this. So what if Star is pale and has weirdly colored eyes? He's still a human being. He hasn't done anything remotely suggestive of being T-Virally enhanced. He doesn't seem to have super strength or speed. He hasn't been eating people. If you kill him just on the basis of his skin and eye color, then you're no better than those people responsible for the Salem witch trials. You'll end up killing an innocent person.'_

The Bravo frowned, then paused.

Wait a minute, hadn't Star said that he had been bitten three or four times on the ankle by rattlesnakes when he was a kid?

Rebecca put a hand to her chin.

If so, then perhaps he's not infected. By Star's own admission, there haven't been any news reports in Arkham about either monsters or cannibalism.

Still, it would be best to get him checked at the hospital after this to make sure.

Hearing a creak, Rebecca glanced up as Star tied the last buckle on his coat.

"All set?" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "My apologies for keeping you waiting."

Rebecca waved. "Don't worry."

Should she tell him her suspicions?

On one hand, Star was searching for the truth about himself, and he was deserving of answers. On the other hand...

"Is something wrong, Rebecca?" Star asked uncertainly.

The medic bit her lip. "I've...been thinking about your situation."

He looked at her curiously. "And?"

Rebecca shifted on her feet.

"I've come up with four possible scenarios that could explain...some aspects. Keep in mind, though, these are just theories. Nothing conclusive."

Star listened grimly as she told him her suspicions, his face becoming darker at the last one. Once she finished, the albino looked quietly down contemplatively.

"...The last one seems like a _very_ strong possibility," he murmured.

"You have to remember though, Star, that it's just a theory," Rebecca assured. "Nothing definite."

The albino's fingers drummed along the handles of his suitcases.

"Assuming that I am infected," he began, "...do you think it's possible that...I...could...be...cured?"

Rebecca thought about it.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe. Maybe not."

One corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "If so...at least it gives me some hope."

"Why?"

"It would mean I can finally be made...normal."

Rebecca gave a sad smile, putting a hand on his arm.

"Oh Star, you _are_ normal. You're the most normal-" she cut herself off, stopping herself from saying 'thing' for fear of offending him, "_person_ I've encountered these last two nights."

He looked unconvinced.

"You don't have to worry," she assured. "Once we find Captain Wesker and get out of here, we'll check at the hospital. If they find anything, we will be there for you. _I_ will be there for you. Just keep in mind, though, if you are infected and it's irreversible-"

He nodded again.

"I know." he sighed. "I just hope it _is_, though, that way I can stop looking like something from a Penny Dreadful."

Rebecca shook her head. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Star. You're not as ugly as you make yourself out to be."

Star scoffed.

"Tell that to the people of Arkham," he muttered.

"Well to hell with them!" Rebecca said. "Infected or not...you _are_ a good-looking guy."

He looked doubtfully down with sad eyes to the floor, shifting in discomfort as he cleared his throat. "...We should check the next room."

Just as Star moved past her, he froze.

"Is something wrong?" Rebecca asked.

He turned around to face her. "...It has just occurred to me that I never properly thanked you."

"What for?" she said confusedly.

"For your efforts," the red-cloaked albino clarified. "In saving me. Your kindness. Regardless of...whether I'm infected or not...thank you. Thank you for treating me...for seeing me...as a human being."

Rebecca waved. "Really, Star, you shouldn't thank me for that! Everyone deserves to be treated with respect."

He nodded. "Even so...thank you."

Rebecca smiled, winking at him.

Star opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more, but then stopped.

"Was there something else?" Rebecca asked.

After a minute of silence, he exhaled. "No."

"Are you sure?" Rebecca pressed.

"I'm...sure."

Rebecca was unconvinced. What was he hiding?

Star cleared his throat again. "Shall we check the next room?"

The medic nodded.

"After you." she waved.

As the teenagers stepped past the red curtains, Rebecca worriedly ran her fingers along the handle of her weapon.


	10. Chapter Nine: Surprises

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Nine: Surprises**

Darkness fell over the mansion as the pinkish hues of the sky turned to inky blackness.

* * *

Rebecca peered through the door cautiously as the wind whistled against the mansion walls. Before her was a long stretch of corridor with grey flowery wallpaper and a black and white checkered floor, lit by an overhanging electrical chandelier. Moonlight poured in from the a series of arched glass windows to the right, the shutters creaking, groaning and slamming angrily into the frames.

Stepping inside with Star, Rebecca carefully and quietly stalked forward, looking around. She watched as her albino companion moved to the window, peering out at the moon and night sky in contemplation.

_"'O thou, who plumed with strong desire,'"_ he spoke aloud unconsciously,  
_"'Wouldst float above the earth, beware!_  
_A Shadow tracks thy flight of fire—_  
_Night is coming!_  
_Bright are the regions of the air, _  
_And among the winds and beams_  
_It were delight to wander there—_  
_Night is coming!_

_'The deathless stars are bright above;_  
_If I would cross the shade of night,_  
_Within my heart is the lamp of love,_  
_And that is day!_  
_And the moon will smile with gentle light_  
_On my golden plumes where'er they move;_  
_The meteors will linger round my flight,_  
_And make night day.'"_

Rebecca raised a brow.

"...O...kay..." she said, put-off by the poem. "...You alright, Star?"

Looking back to her, Star gave a small smile.

"Sorry," he shrugged. "Seeing the night sky...it just made me think of the poem by Shelley."

"Who?"

"Percy Shelly," he clarified. "The husband to Mary Godwin Wollstonecraft Shelley."

"Ahh," she nodded in understanding.

Waving for him to follow, the teenagers continued down the corridor together. Turning her attention to the series of brown glass cabinets that lined the walls over to the left, Rebecca studied their contents as they passed by anxiously. In one cabinet were some skeletal remains of a person, a skull and vertebrate, presumably an anatomical model that was used for display purposes.

_'At least, I hope it is,'_ Rebecca thought nervously as she took out her pistol.

A second cabinet contained various animal specimens, what appeared to be the skull and bones of a cat and dog, while a third had the remains of a human child and infant. Others had various sculptures, dishware and pottery. One in particular had some ghoulish-looking African tribal art that represented some animal, spirit or monster (it was hard to discern which).

Just as they were about to take another step forward, Star froze, raising up a hand.

"Star what-"

He shushed her, indicating for her to listen.

_'What's gotten him so spooked?'_ the Bravo wondered.

It was then that she heard the sound; something was sliding and shuffling through the floor from the direction of the exhibition room behind them.

Something big.

Turning slowly around without making a sound, Rebecca tilted her head to the side, straining her ears.

Looking to Star, she mouthed the words 'What is it?'. The albino didn't answer - he just warily listened, not moving a muscle. The teenagers were deathly still as the shuffling continued toward them, the youths unconsciously looking to the floor, following the sound. At first, Rebecca was going to ask the albino if it was a rat, but the more she heard the racket, the more the medic doubted it to be such. It sounded massive, like a giant sack of potatoes being dragged across the ground. At one point, Rebecca heard what she could have sworn sounded like _hissing_.

_'What is that?'_ she wondered._ 'Steam?'_

The sound traveled from the floor, moving up along the wall, causing the teens to follow with their eyes. It was now directly above them, the wood bending and creaking as something pressed against it. Swallowing back bile, Rebecca stared at where the ceiling bent and swelled, certain that at any moment, something was going to burst through the wood and reveal some horrific, ungodly immense body.

Rebecca's pulse drummed in her chest, her heart threatening to leap out at a moment's notice.

The bulge remained for a moment, then disappeared as it continued moving upward, the sound receding. Finally, it was gone.

The duo remained still for several minutes, staring anxiously at the ceiling. When they were certain it was no longer around, they relaxed.

Letting out a shaky sigh of relief, the medic wiped her bandaged forehead.

"What...the hell...was...that?" Star whispered, struggling to speak.

"I don't know," she whispered back. "Let's get out of here before it comes back."

Rounding a corner to the left, the teenagers continued their examinations of the various cabinets when there came a crash behind them. Whirling around, Rebecca paused as she saw Star struggling on the floor beneath a gigantic dog, the window smashed in, pebbling the floor with glass. It wasn't the size that startled her, which was admittedly intimidating, but rather the fact that it was covered in scales and had wings!

"Get off me!" Star yelled as he held back the creature by its neck as it hungrily snapped its jaws at his throat. "Get off!"

Just as she aimed her weapon, Star's eyes widened in alarm at her.

"Rebecca behind you!"

The Bravo medic turned just in time to see a bloody dog charging toward her from the other end of the hall. Raising her weapon, she aimed and fired, the rounds causing the animal to trip and slide along the floor. Turning around, Rebecca fired at the creature on top of Star, knocking it off of him. Reaching into his pocket, the albino pulled out his pistol, pointing it at her.

"What are you-?"

"Get down!" he yelled.

Dropping to the floor, Rebecca heard a bang followed by a yelp, then turned in time to see the canine behind her collapse lifelessly onto the floor. Looking back to Star, she gave a grateful nod as he tilted his head back onto the floor in relief.

"Are you okay?" Rebecca asked as she helped him up to his feet.

"Yeah," Star said as he brushed himself off. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," she winked.

Turning their attention to the winged animal, the teenagers curiously approached it.

"So..." Star started, "...it's definitely a winged dog."

"My god!" she gasped. "Look at the size of it!"

"I know," the albino nodded. "It's also very heavy."

He looked at her curiously.

"Do you think the t-Virus has further mutated these dogs...somehow?" he queried.

"Hard to tell," Rebecca shook her head.

Kneeling over it, Star grabbed hold of a wing, then lifted it up for examination.

"This is _definitely_ no costume," he muttered.

Rebecca kneeled beside him, studying the wing.

"Vestigial wings," she commented. "They're far too small to support its weight, so there's no way it can fly..."

"No, but it seems like it could potentially climb up surfaces like walls," Star noted.

The medic looked at him, startled.

"What?!"

"Look at its feet," he pointed. "See how the toes are kind of shaped like a gecko's?"

"I'll be damned! You're right!" she gasped. Reaching into her pocket, she took out a piece of cloth, then watched as the creature's foot clung to it. She then tried prying it off. "They seem to have some form of adhesive. I wonder if it has hair follicles on its toes..."

So while it might not fly around like a bat, the creature could probably climb around, using its wings as support.

The hooded albino then touched its crest, pulling upward.

"I wish I was able to feel something with my hands," he muttered. "I can't tell if this is bone or not."

"Is it hollow?" Rebecca asked.

He tapped it, listening.

"Possibly. Why?"

She shrugged. "The crest sort of reminds me of Parasaurolophus."

The albino grunted in acknowledgment.

"Indeed. It also has serrated teeth," Star noted.

"It does?" Rebecca said in surprise.

"Yes," he nodded, pointing to its partially open mouth. "See? Like a shark."

The teenagers stared at the fallen animal, then looked at each other.

"...What is this thing?" Star asked.

Rebecca stared, speechless.

"I...I don't know," she said incredulously. "Whatever it is, though, we have to warn the others about this."

* * *

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Joseph let out a groan as he pushed himself off the floor, the tapping getting on his nerves.

"Joseph? Joseph are you there?" his radio crackled. "Joseph pick up!"

Rubbing his eyes, the Alpha glanced around.

Where the hell was he?

"Joseph here," the Omni Man grumbled into the radio.

"Are you okay, man? You don't sound too well." Chris said with concern at the other end.

"Negative," Joseph answered. "Something knocked me off my ass and dragged me around the fucking building. Now I don't know where the fuck I am."

"Tell me what you see."

He looked around.

"I'm at some sort of stairway that has a bird cage beside it." Joseph answered. "There's a door in front of me."

Before he could say anything else, the door opened, revealing Chris. Joseph sighed.

"It's good to see you," the Omni Man nodded.

"You look like you're in rough shape," Chris commented.

"Yeah, well fuck you too."

The Alpha Point Man scoffed.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The duo whipped around, drawing up their arms.

"The hell is that?" Chris asked.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"I don't see anything," Joseph said. "What is it, running tap water?"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

God, where the fuck was that tapping coming from?

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Twisting around, Joseph and Chris aimed their weapons, looking in all directions.

Nothing.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sound was still approaching. Joseph's brows furrowed.

"What the hell?" he muttered. "Where's it coming from?"

A growl overhead caused the Alphas to freeze and look up.

"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!" Joseph yelled, startled. Climbing around on the ceiling like some sort of fucking lizard or bat was a winged dog.

Raising their weapons, the duo fired just as the bizarre animal dropped from the ceiling, its carcass crashing down lifelessly with a sickening thud.

"Yeah, oh yeah!" Joseph said to the animal, giving it a kick. "You thought you could get the drop on us?! You thought could just get the drop on us?! Well fuck you!"

Chris shook his head.

"Unbelievable," he glanced around, then took out his radio. "I'm gonna contact Jill. Keep your eyes peeled and make sure there aren't any more lurking around, okay?"

Joseph nodded. "Got it."

* * *

Chris raised up his radio.

"Jill, are you there?" he called.

"Jill here," she replied. "Everything okay?"

"I just found Joseph," he answered. "He's in pretty rough shape, plus Rebecca had called to warn us-"

"About the winged dogs, right?"

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"She called to warn me, too."

"Well, be careful and stay alert. Joseph and I found one of these fuckers crawling over our heads on the ceiling."

"You're kidding."

"I wish." Chris replied.

"So this is what it's come to. Bird men flying from the sky, dead guys coming back to life, winged dogs climbing on the walls and ceiling...what is with this crazy place?!" Jill muttered.

He shrugged. "No idea."

"Isn't it obvious?" Joseph retorted into the radio. "It's Junior's fault. The moment God found out Wesker had a kid, the gates of hell opened."

Chris and Jill both gave short nervous laughs.

"Any word from Barry or the Captain?" the former asked.

"Negative," said the latter. "No sign of either."

"What about Richard?"

"Haven't heard a peep from him. I found a couple of doors, but they're locked off. Not even my tools can get me inside."

Chris frowned.

"We should probably move onto the next wing."

* * *

"Rebecca? Rebecca are you there? Over."

The medic raised her radio. "Rebecca here. Over."

"Have you heard from anyone?" Chris asked, the line crackling. "Barry? Richard? Captain Wesker?"

"Negative," Rebecca answered.

"Okay, let's regroup back at the dining room."

"Roger. Over and out." Turning to her companion, she waved to him. "Come on."

Moving away from the dogs, the teenagers made their way back from whence they came.

* * *

Stepping into the dining room once more, Rebecca watched as Jill, Chris and Joseph looking around in confusion.

"Hey guys," she greeted.

"Hey." Jill nodded.

"What's wrong?" Star asked.

"One of the bodies has disappeared." Joseph replied.

"What?" the medic said, startled.

He pointed where the zombie's dismembered carcass had been. Looking to the spot, Rebecca was surprised to find it gone. Only a bloody mess on the floor indicated where it had been.

The teenagers looked around the room, then to the railing above.

"What the? Where did it go?" she wondered.

Star looked at her worriedly.

"You don't think it's still alive, do you?" he asked.

"How?! It was practically just a pair of legs!" she exclaimed.

The two teenagers looked around the dining room, eying every corner with suspicion. Rebecca felt something crawl up along her spine as her heart thumped in her chest.

"There's no way it could still be walking around," she assured herself. "That's impossible."

And yet...if Rebecca had learned anything from last night, the impossible had a way _becoming_ possible, with horrifying results. Rebecca looked around, trying to find some possible clue as to what happened.

"Assuming it's not alive," Star spoke, his eyes glancing around at the corners and at the doors, "where did it go?"

"Maybe-maybe someone took it," Rebecca said as she listened nervously.

Part of her was desperately _hoping_ that that was the case, because the idea of that thing bursting through the door as it was...Rebecca wouldn't be able to handle it. She felt like throwing up.

"Wait," Chris said, raising up a hand. "Do you hear that?"

The survivors listened. It sounded like something wet. There was a series of nasty-sounding squelches.

Star and Rebecca looked around listening as they approached the collapsed dining room table, moving toward Gilman's body when the former froze.

"Oh my god!" Star groaned.

"What?" Rebecca said, then looked to where he stared. As she did so, Rebecca screamed.

"What?!" Jill asked, "What's- AW!"

The survivors gathered, staring over at Gilman's body. Feasting on his flesh were dozens upon dozens of massive maggots, their pasty yellow-white bodies over a foot long and six inches thick.

"MOTHER OF GOD!" Joseph yelled in disgust.

Gilman's body wriggled violently as a massive worm poked its slimy eyeless head out from his stomach, its mouth lined with razor-sharp shark-like teeth. As it did so, it turned towards Rebecca, snarling as it arched itself back, coiling like a spring before darting up into the air.

Rebecca shrieked at the top of her lungs as she felt it narrowly miss her, leaping up onto Star, causing him to nearly lose his balance and drop his bags as the medic climbed all the way up onto his shoulders, the girl still screaming as he stomped and kicked anything that moved close to his feet.

"KILL IT! KILL IT! KILL IT!" The Bravo shrieked as she clung to the hood, curling herself into a ball as she brought up her legs as much as she could.

"YOU HEARD HER, GUYS!" Chris yelled as he and the others open-fired and stomped on the fat buggers.

One maggot bit onto Star's booted leg, forcing him to shake his leg about while Rebecca screamed even louder. Joseph kicked and stomped angrily, shooting everything that moved.

"DIE! YOU! FUCKING! BASTARDS!" Frost yelled with each stomp or shot, the floor stained with their yellow slimy entrails.

Chris booted one fat bastard into the fireplace, the worm letting out a dying screech as it writhed around in agony. Jill swung a chair at another as it was airborne, squishing it against a wall.

"GET IT OFF!" Star yelled as he shook his booted foot around. "GET THIS DAMN THING OFF ME!"

"HOLD STILL!" Chris yelled. The Alpha aimed carefully, then fired, blasting the worm off from his leg.

Once the worm fell, the survivors cast their eyes around.

"See anymore?" he called.

"All clear over here," Joseph said.

"This corner is clean," Jill said from the other end.

Chris looked around, then up at the railings.

"Is that all of them?!" Rebecca asked from her perch, squeezing her arms and legs around Star's head and neck.

"I think it's clear."

"Are you sure?!"

"It's clear, Rebecca," Jill assured. "You can come down now."

Rebecca closed her eyes, shivering as she sat atop the albino's shoulders.

"Rebecca...I can't...breathe."

Hearing Star's voice, Rebecca opened her eyes, remembering where she was.

"Sorry," she said as she let go, climbing down slowly. The medic was just a foot off the ground when a worm suddenly leapt up from beneath a rug in her direction, causing her to scream and climb back up again as Star smacked it aside with one of his suitcases, stomping on it angrily several times until the entire damn thing was flattened.

"Okay, you can come down now, Rebecca," Jill called.

"No!" Rebecca sobbed, shaking and trembling furiously.

"Rebecca sweety-"

"I'm not coming down!" Rebecca yelled. "Not until we leave this room!"

Rebecca didn't care that she was making a spectacle of herself. She was too scared and disgusted to even set her own feet down.

* * *

Chris watched the girl as she curled up into a ball on the giant's shoulders. The way she shook, pouted and cried reminded him so much of his sister Claire when they were kids. Even though she faced so many obstacles and had more experience, relatively speaking, than _any_ of them in relation to these creatures, she was absolutely terrified. Seeing her in tears like this...

Jill frowned. "Rebecca-"

"It's okay, Jill," Chris waved. He looked to Star. "Take her out of here."

Star nodded. "Okay."

Chris watched as the hooded giant turned quietly around, carrying her out the room back into the main hall.

Once the doors closed, he turned to face the others.

"Poor kid," Jill murmured.

"Yeah." Redfield glanced around. "Let's make sure there aren't any more lurking around."

* * *

As the doors closed behind them, Star nodded to the girl on his shoulders.

"It's safe to come down now," he assured.

The medic scoffed.

"Nowhere in this place is safe," she muttered.

He shrugged.

"True, but there shouldn't be any worms here. It should be _relatively_ safe."

He felt the medic hesitate and shift around, as if she were casting untrusting eyes around them. If she was, the albino couldn't blame her. Everything about this damn place was corrupt and deceptive. Corruption and deception were the debased currencies on which Umbrella seemed to have built its foundation on, its lifeblood. After waiting for an indeterminate period, Rebecca started to climb off him. Once she was back onto the ground, Rebecca shivered and trembled furiously in disgust as she cried into her hands.

"I hate this place!" she sobbed quietly. "I hate this place so much! I can't take anymore of this! I want to go home! I want to see my Mom!"

Star felt his insides being pulled as he sorrowfully watched the girl come apart before him. Rebecca was a remarkably brave girl, pushing on even when confronted with the most horrific creatures and discoveries, even the loathsome Dr. Marcus at his most grotesque and abhorrent. And yet...to see her in this state...the albino felt distressed. He _wanted_ to do _something_ to comfort her, but...he didn't know _how_, let alone _what_.

_'What do I do?'_ he wondered.

Star stared at the girl uncertainly as she continued to weep.

"I...hate...Umbrella." she said between breaths, her cheeks stained with tears. "I hate them!"

Umbrella. Star repressed the urge to snarl as he looked aside. Until recently, he had been ignorant of the pharmaceutical company, but the more he learned about them, the more contempt he felt for them. Now, he just wanted to smash and burn everyone of them to the ground.

"So do I," Star said lowly. Looking back to the medic, his eyes softened, saddened by the sight of the girl.

_'I wish there was something I can do for her.'_

What would Eleanor do?

Thinking back, Star recalled how during his times of sadness and distress she used to hug him.

Hesitating, the albino glanced back to Rebecca, uncertain.

Would...such a thing help? Was it even appropriate?

_'No,'_ One side argued._ 'Eleanor is your mother, it's natural for mothers to hug their children.'_

_'So is hugging a friend, especially one in need.' _Another side countered.

_'Is it, though?'_

He was unsure. For as long as he remembered, Star had_ always_ been friendless and alone. Certainly, he has made a great number of _acquaintances_, many of them friendly enough, but he had never in his life been a _friend_, and as far as he knew, none of them regarded him as such. They _tolerated_ his presence, to an extent anyway. Not enough to invite him to parties or whatever else they would get up to, though.

And yet...he had seen Eleanor comfort people by giving them a hug, especially those they never knew. One such example was a fifteen year-old boy that had crashed into their parked car four years ago at a grocery story after suffering a heat stroke. Star recalled how the boy was so scared as he apologised profusely that he was crying, and how once Eleanor hugged him, he calmed himself down.

_'But you're not Eleanor,'_ the albino thought to himself.

He was a freak, a towering horror show of scars.

As the girl continued to cry, the more guilt-ridden Star became.

Putting his suitcases down, he approached the crying medic.

He was going to regret this,...but he needed to try.

Reaching out tentatively, the albino youth put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Rebecca," he said gently. "It's okay. Please don't cry."

When Rebecca didn't respond, the albino curled his long arms around Rebecca's diminutive form. Star felt her stiffen, causing him to draw his arms away in alarm.

"I...I'm sorry," the red-clad youth said. "I-I just thought-"

He wasn't able to finish as Rebecca's eyes softened, watching with surprise as she returned the hug. Putting his arms back around Rebecca, Star felt the corners of his mouth curl upward slightly as he embraced her.

He didn't know how long he held the medic for - time just seemed to cease altogether as the two teens just held each other. Part of the albino hoped to never let go, that this..._feeling_...could last forever. When he felt Rebecca let go, Star reluctantly did so himself, looking down at her.

"How do you feel?" Star asked in concern.

Rebecca wiped her eyes.

"Better," she sighed, looking up at him with a small smile. "Thank you."

He shrugged.

"I...didn't really know what else to do," Star admitted.

Her smile grew, her face shining.

"It was a nice gesture."

It was then that the albino looked up with a start, his eyes widening in alarm. "Ah! Oh my god, what have I done?!"

"What? What's wrong?" Rebecca asked, startled by his reaction. "Why are you-"

She paused, finally realizing what it was that had him so worried.

"Rebecca...I'm...I'm so sorry!" Star said as he backed away from her, his eyes full of horror and sorrow. "How could I have been so stupid?!"

Rebecca swallowed.

"It's...it's okay," she said.

"No it isn't, Rebecca!" the albino lamented. "Because of my carelessness and idiocy, I may have killed you with my good intentions!"

"It's okay, Star! It's just a hug!" she insisted. "No one has ever died because of a hug." The medic paused, then looked up thoughtfully. "Well, technically speaking boa constrictors and other snakes do so all the time, but I'm digressing. Really, Star, there's nothing to worry about! It's not like we've been...kissing..."

As the medic trailed off, Star lowered his eyes.

"I'm...sorry..." the hooded figure said in a quiet voice.

She shook her head.

"Really, it's nothing! A kiss on the forehead is nothing!" the medic tried to assure. "It's not like we've slept together."

As the words left her mouth, the two teenagers stood awkwardly, both blushing.

"I-I mean it's not like we've been swapping tongues or having sex...I just made things worse, didn't I?" Rebecca said as she looked away, mumbling the last part, her cheeks crimson.

Exhaling, the albino turned away from her.

"I think it would be best if I leave. I've put you and the others too much in harm's way already."

Star was just about to walk back to the exhibition room when he felt a hand on his upper arm, halting him.

"Don't go," Rebecca said.

He frowned. "Rebecca-"

"Look, I know you're scared...but I'm not going to just abandon you, Star," she said. "Let me help you. Please...don't give up on me."

He looked at her incredulously.

"Give up on you? I never have, Rebecca, and I never will. It's just...I don't...want...to hurt you..."

"You don't have to worry, Star," she assured. "I promised you that my team and I are going to be there for you and that nothing will happen to you. Let me keep that promise."

Star stared, mystified and startled by the small girl. Even with the threat hanging over them, even despite the potential hazard he represented...she still wanted to help him regardless.

How could anything..._anyone_...be so..._pure_?

He sighed.

"...I can't say no to you," he admitted.

She patted him on the shoulder.

"Everything will be okay, Star," she nodded. "You'll see. Just have faith."

He looked at her, then gave a small smile and nod in appreciation. Smiling back, Rebecca pulled away, taking in a deep breath as she looked to the dining hall door with a frown.

"I-I bet the others in there are all laughing at me," she said miserably. "Here I am, a S.T.A.R.S. officer, and they all get to see me crying like a baby on my first day."

"There's no reason why they should," Star replied. "If they are, I have a way of relieving your embarrassment."

Rebecca looked at him curiously. "How?"

"By telling them about my having eaten dog food."

The Bravo let out a short surprised laugh.

"See? Even _you_ know that's far _more_ embarrassing than crying."

"I still can't believe how you missed the label with the picture of the terrier and the letters printed in bold," the girl giggled.

Seeing her smiling again stirred and warmed Star's chest as butterflies fluttered in his stomach.

"Ah!" she exclaimed. "I forgot!"

"What about?" he asked.

"Your leg! I need to check your leg!"

The albino paled.

"Really, Rebecca, there's no need," he said nervously as Rebecca started to shrug off her backpack. "That maggot hasn't bitten through the leather."

"Let me check," the girl said as she placed on some latex gloves.

"Really, Rebecca, it's fine." Star insisted. "I'm not bleeding."

"Can I see?" Rebecca asked.

He frowned. "Rebecca-"

"It's okay. Please. Trust me."

The albino looked down with a dark look. He was hoping to avoid doing so.

_'Damn it._' he cursed.

"...As you wish."

The red-draped youth watched as Rebecca approached. Pulling his boot off, he then drew up his pant leg, his white sock drawn all the way up. He made sure to expose nothing underneath.

"See? No bleeding," he said anxiously.

Just as he was about to pull the pant leg back down, he saw Rebecca's hand placed onto his own. Raising his eyes up in surprise, he saw Rebecca giving him a curious look.

"...Star...why are you acting like this? What's wrong?" she asked.

Star averted his eyes as he got his boot back on.

"...Are your legs also...burned?...Scarred?"

Straightening himself, the youth's shoulders sagged as he sighed.

"...Yes." Star merely answered, his voice barely audible.

"...Can I see?" Rebecca asked quietly.

The albino was quiet for a long time, his scarred eyes staring sadly away.

"...No." he replied.

"Star-"

"Believe me, Rebecca," he said in a hushed and despondent tone, "...it is better for you to _not_ see."

Rebecca studied him, looking at him from top to bottom.

"...Is your..._entire_...body...scarred?"

He didn't answer. He didn't want to say anything.

"I understand," she nodded. "If you don't want to show me now, that's fine. I won't push any further. I won't tell anyone, either. You can trust me." Rebecca then placed a hand his arm. "But...if you ever feel the need to talk about it...if you want to show me later, just let me know. If you want it done discreetly, that can be arranged. Okay?"

He sighed in relief.

"Okay." Star replied.

"Alright then!" the Bravo smiled as she straightened herself up and replaced her gloves.

As the girl strapped her backpack on, Star opened his mouth.

"Rebecca." He watched as she turned to face him. "Thank you."

Rebecca winked, giving him another sunny smile, making the albino's pulse rise along with the corners of his lips.

_'If she isn't a fairy or angel, then she is the closest thing to one,' _Star thought.

* * *

There came a sound from the second floor above, drawing the teenagers' attention. Rebecca looked around, then saw Richard as he climbed down the stairs.

"Richard!" she said in surprise.

Aiken nodded.

"It's good to see you, Rebecca," he smiled, his expression changing as he acknowledged the albino. "Wolf."

"I suppose you haven't found anything either, huh?" Rebecca asked.

He shook his head. "No. Afraid not."

Just as Rebecca was about inquire more, the trio heard a door slam somewhere.

"Did you hear that?" she asked uncertainly.

"I did," Star nodded. "It sounds like it came from outside."

Could it be rescue?

Running to the doors, the trio tried to pry it open.

"What the hell? It's locked!" Aiken frowned.

"Let's check the windows. Come on!" Rebecca waved as she and Star ran up the stairs, the latter stopping for a moment to collect his bags. Circling around the walkway up top, the survivors made their way to the windows that peered out at the front. Striding confidently away from the mansion were two men, their backs facing the trio.

* * *

Star studied the two men silently.

Both were tall, though one was considerably larger than the other.

The first man was, by Star's estimates, six foot six or six foot seven, with broad shoulders and a robust frame, his hair bushy and grey. From his manner and apparel, he seemed to be military, perhaps ex-military, wearing a long, thick, bluish grey military-styled coat that had a red collar and cuffs with a black belt tied around the waist, his feet clad in heavy black boots.

His companion, however, was an even stranger vision; a great, hulking giant that looked to be two feet taller and a good hundred pounds heavier than Star himself, the figure was clad in a long white coat, the garment straining to keep in the man's bulging musculature, his skin dark. At first, Star took him to be African American, but the more he looked at his skin, the less convinced he was of that being the giant's ethnicity. To the albino, the man's skin looked...grey. As if he were carved from either stone or charcoal. The most unusual feature about this second man, however, were the orange sunglasses that he wore; in fact, Star wasn't sure himself if he could even call it that due to how thick they were and how they seemed to wrap around the entire man's head. He was inclined to call them goggles, but the truth was that he had no idea.

"Who's that?" Aiken asked.

"I don't know, but they're going into the forest," Rebecca said, surprised by their doing so.

The albino youth could tell just from observing the pair that the man in grey wielded some level of authority due to how he kept ahead of the other. That, plus the fact that the white-clad giant was carrying something one-handed on his shoulder.

"Unbelievable," Aiken shook his head. "I wonder what they could be up to."

"What is that man wearing on his head?" Star wondered aloud.

Rebecca frowned. "I don't know. What I want to know is what is it that they're carrying. It looks like some sort of body bag."

The survivors watched as the duo stopped momentarily as they were approached by dogs, winged and wingless alike, the animals gathering around and snarling viciously. The man in grey tilted his head to the side curiously, giving the impression as if he were intrigued. He displayed no signs of fear as his grey-skinned companion walked past him, stopping just in front of his master as the dogs charged and leapt toward the pair. Craning his arm back, the giant backhanded three to four of the animals away with a mighty swing of his arm, smacking them aside.

"Whoa!" Aiken winced, watching as the animals flew back pitifully. "Did you see that?!"

"Who are these guys?" Rebecca wondered.

As one of the winged animals struggled to get back up, the man in white raised his foot up into the air, slamming it down pitilessly on its head with a loud crunch. Once the other animals were dealt with, the man in grey approached and kneeled down, examining it. As he finished, he said something to the giant and proceeded onward unimpeded.

Star watched the pair until both servant and master were gone from view.

"That was crazy!" Rebecca exclaimed. "Did you see that guy, Star? He was just swatting them away like they were flies!"

"I know," Star nodded. "Even _I_ can't do that!"

It was then that a vision came to him.

* * *

_The man in white studied him, his face shadowed and grave, his eyes covered in thick black sunglasses, his arms folded behind his back._

* * *

Star stumbled backward.

"Star!" Rebecca exclaimed as she and Richard caught hold of him. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine." he said as he straightened himself.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Sorry."

"I'm just glad you're alright," Rebecca sighed.

Star felt a warmth in his chest. She truly was a marvel.

Hearing a door opening below, the trio glanced down to see Chris and the others as they entered the Main Hall.

"Where did they go?" Joseph muttered.

"Up here!" Rebecca waved.

"There you are," Chris sighed, then gave a concerned look. "Everything okay, Rebecca?"

She shifted around uncomfortably.

"I-I'm sorry about that." the medic fidgeted.

Chris waved.

"It's okay," he smiled, then nodded to Aiken. "Hi Richie!"

"Hey Chris."

"Find anything?"

"We saw two guys wandering around outside," the Communications specialist replied. "One was bigger than Wolf and was just bashing the shit out of some winged dogs out there with one hand! Bam, wham!"

"You're joking," Joseph said in disbelief.

"He was also carrying a body bag of some sort." Rebecca added.

"Any ideas on who they were?" Chris asked.

"The smaller of the two looked like he was military, possibly ex-military from the way he moved and dressed," Star noted. "I don't know, but if I were a betting man, I'd probably say he's one of Umbrella's goons."

Chris and Jill looked at each other.

"You said the big guy was carrying a body bag," the latter said.

Richard shook his head.

"I don't know what that's about," he said honestly.

"I doubt that it's being carried for sentimental reasons," Rebecca said. "I don't mean to be judgemental, but...they didn't look friendly."

"So probably some project or test subject Umbrella was working on," Chris said with his hand on his chin.

"We tried getting the front door open, but we're completely locked in," Star added.

Chris looked up in surprise. "Seriously?"

The albino gestured to the door.

"See for yourself."

He watched as the Alphas approached the door, trying to get it open. After several seconds of pulling, they gave up.

"This keeps getting better and better," Jill frowned.

Joseph sighed.

"Damn it." he muttered.

"Anything else?" Chris asked.

"Star and I found a key in the grandfather clock," Rebecca said as she waved said-item. "We have no idea where it goes, though. We've also found a hidden closet in the exhibition room."

"Really?" Jill said interestedly.

"Yes," Star nodded. "It was filled to the brim with stuff. Some rather expensive suits and various costumes."

"Huh," Joseph said. "I wouldn't mind checking it out."

"Same here," Jill nodded in agreement.

"Well, we just might, because we cleared as much of the west wing as we could," Chris said. "There's still a couple of locked rooms and doors, but until we find a way inside, it might take a while. Unless we find keys to those rooms, our only option is to search the east wing."

"Oh!" Rebecca's eyes widened as she remembered, "That reminds me, Star and I found a map in that statue of the woman!"

Taking out the folded map from her backpack, she tossed it down to Chris. She watched as the Alpha Point Man studied it.

"This will be very handy," he nodded, handing it to Jill. "Joseph, you and Jill check the lower levels while I check the upper floor with Richard."

"What about us?" Rebecca asked.

"Do you feel up for it?" Chris asked. "You don't have to come if you don't want to."

The Bravo medic thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

"I'll do it."

Chris then looked to Star. "How about you, Wolf?"

"I'll come," the albino answered.

"Then you two are coming with us," Chris shrugged. Looking to Jill and Joseph, he nodded to them. "Stay safe."

"You too, Chris," Jill replied as she studied the map.

The Omni Man shifted on his feet.

"If you ever need backup-"

"I'll let you know," Chris cut Joseph off. "Thanks."

Turning to the stairs, he started to climb.

"Chris."

The Alpha paused, then looked back to Joseph.

"...Good luck, man," Frost nodded.

The Point Man smirked.

"You don't get off that easy," he said, then looked at him seriously. "Good luck, Joseph."

Separating once more, the survivors wearily traveled onto the next section, wondering what horrors await.


	11. Chapter Ten: Yawn

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Ten: Yawn**

Rebecca and the others glanced around as they pushed the door open. The room they entered was a long orange winding corridor with a lush red carpet, with a chair, dresser, and table immediately in front of them facing opposite each other, the latter holding some fancy dishware and a vase. To the right of the survivors was a door while the rest of the corridor continued on, curling to the left. Illuminated by some overhead wall-mounted lamps, the lighting had the effect of making everything seem downright hellish. The door itself was especially ghoulish, however, for scrawled - or rather, smeared, - across its frame with messy hand prints was a bloody message.

Rebecca and Star stepped toward it, studying the writing curiously.

"...'Beware...the..." the latter paused, squinting in confusion before continuing, "...Yawn'?"

Rebecca frowned. "That can't be what it says."

"It's definitely how it's spelled." The albino then looked at her. "Is yawning a symptom we have to look out for?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know, to be honest."

"Bloody strange symptom if it is," Chris muttered.

"...I don't think it's referring to the disease," said Richard.

"Then what, Richard?" Rebecca asked.

"We'll find out soon enough," Chris answered ominously. "Come on."

Stepping through the door, the survivors found themselves in a grey L-shaped corridor with a massive pillar in the middle. Parts of the wall and the pillar itself were decorated with bits of bronze, the wallpaper cracking and falling off. Brown floors were covered in filthy grey carpets. Moving past the pillar as they turned left, the group approached a door at the far end.

The next room was a small connecting corridor that led straight to a small set of stairs with a landing and a wooden door up top. Stepping toward it, Rebecca and the others jerked back as a zombie emerged from the side, startling them.

"Jesus!" Chris yelled as he struggled with it. After a few minutes of wrestling, the Alpha Point Man managed to do a reversal, putting the creature into a headlock when there came a loud snap, causing Rebecca and Star to wince. After a whole minute passed, the body dropped indelicately face-first to the floor.

"I hate it when those bastards do that!" Richard said as he gave it a kick.

Rebecca looked around nervously. To the groups' left was a tight-fitting corridor with a door at the side. Looking back to the door ahead, the medic took a tentative step in its direction, then paused nervously as she caught sight of old dried bloodstains on the wall.

"Sooo," she began, "...which door do you guys want to open first?"

Richard nodded thoughtfully.

"How about..._not_ the one with the bloodstain on it?" he suggested.

"Let's start with the other door first," Chris gestured.

The others nodded in approval.

Following him down the small corridor, Rebecca watched as Chris pulled the door open. Inside was a small, unlit and dilapidated dining room covered in dust and cobwebs with two shelves and four brown wooden chairs, two of which were lined up against a peeling wall. The other two were placed side by side in front of a small table in the middle of the room, which sat directly beneath a chandelier. On the table itself were some jars, dishes, bottles and various newspapers along with an unlit candlestick holder. Chris reached into his pocket and took out a lighter.

"Let's get some light here," he muttered. After several attempts at getting it to work, Chris flicked the lighter on, lighting up the candles.

Richard nodded approvingly.

"That's _much_ better."

Approaching the table, Chris pocketed some handgun ammo while Rebecca tried studying some of the shelves. Finding nothing interesting, she paused, then did a double-take. One of them has a frame hidden behind it, a possible door or passageway.

"Hey guys, I found something!" Rebecca called.

Moving beside the shelf, the medic started to shove it to the side. Once it was out of the way, she and the others entered the passageway, finding a large shelf.

"Oh. Never mind." she muttered, moving aside for Chris as he stepped toward it and pulled open its drawers.

"Hey, look at this!" he smiled, pulling out a box of shotgun shells. "Now if only we had a shotgun..."

"A shotgun..." Rebecca murmured. Looking up with a start, she turned to Star. "Star, do you remember that broken shotgun Gilman had?"

"Yes." he answered.

"What happened to it?"

He raised his chin, trying to recall. "...If I...remember correctly...you had it, Rebecca."

She blinked.

"I did?"

He nodded. "I remember because you were the one who snatched it away from him."

Rebecca frowned. Where had she put it?

Her eyes widened.

"Oh no..." she muttered, slamming an annoyed fist down onto her leg. "I think I might have left it in the front yard outside!"

Chris patted her on the shoulder.

"It's okay, rookie," he nodded. "Besides, it probably would have been useless to us, anyway."

Rebecca heard Chris' radio go off.

"Chris, are you there? Over," Jill called.

He raised the radio.

"Chris here. Everything okay, Jill?"

"Joseph and I encountered a few zombies here and there, but we managed to evade them," she replied. "That's not the news we wanted to tell you, though - we found a note from Captain Wesker!"

Star whirled around the instant he heard the name while Rebecca's heart leapt.

_'Please let my darling be alright!'_ the medic prayed. _'Please let him be alright!'_

"Say again, Jill?" Chris called.

"I repeat, Captain Wesker's alive! Here's the message." Jill began to read the note, "'Special instructions for the disposal of dead bodies - We have new information regarding these "beings". They may appear to be dead but in fact they are able to come back to life. However, there are ways to prevent them from becoming active again. Currently there are two known methods to cease their resurrection. 1) Incineration. 2) Destruction of the head. If further methods are discovered, you will be notified immediately. Meanwhile to those of you who still have the will to live, oil has been placed on the first floor of the mansion. Take as much as you need. You'll need to find something to light it with, which you'll need to find by yourself. Stay safe.'"

Redfield sighed along with Rebecca.

_'Thank you, God!'_ she gleefully thought. '_Thank you, thank you, thank you!'_

"Glad to hear he's alright," Chris said with relief.

"Was there any doubt?" Joseph spoke from the background. "The guy's the Terminator - _nothing_ can stop him."

Chris scoffed.

"Have you told Wolf yet?" Jill said from the other end.

"He's heard the news," the Point Man nodded in Star's direction.

"We'll keep looking around and let you know if we find anything else," Jill replied.

"Okay. Over and out." Chris turned to face Star. "Well, it seems the Captain is alright. If there's one thing I can say about your old man, he's a tough nugget to crack."

Rebecca watched as Star's body relaxed a little, the albino letting out a nervous exhale.

"Thank god."

Chris put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, kid," the Alpha Point Man smiled. "Your father is going to be okay. He's a hell of a fighter."

Star blinked in surprise at the gesture, then gave a small smile and an appreciative nod.

Giving the albino a pat on the shoulder, Chris nodded back, then turned to where they came from.

"Well, that seems to be all this place has to offer," he said. "Time for the next one."

As the group filed out one by one, Rebecca placed a hand on Star's arm.

"You okay, Star?" she asked.

"Yeah," the albino nodded. "I'm just...glad that he's still alive."

She gave his arm a gentle assuring squeeze.

"It's like I said, Star - just have faith. Hopefully everything can and will be resolved."

Star said nothing. Casting one look at the chandelier overhead, the albino youth sighed, then turned around, following after the others with the medic close by.

* * *

Once the survivors gathered at the foot of the stairs, Rebecca watched as Aiken climbed up toward the door and reached for the handle.

He shook his head.

"Locked," Richard called.

Reaching into her pocket, Rebecca dug around for a bit before finally pulling out the shield key.

"Try this," she said, holding it out to him. Taking the key from her, Richard gave an appreciative smile.

"Thanks, Rebecca." Looking back to the stairs, he climbed up, then inserted the key. "Hey, it fits!"

Once he finished unlocking, he tossed the key back to her, then faced the door, raising his pistol. The door was just barely open when he drew back, coughing and gagging as he closed it shut behind him.

"Good lord!" he wheezed. "What a smell!"

"What are we talking, mold?" Chris asked.

"Hell no," Aiken shook his head, hacking. "Jesus, it's like a rotting animal carcass! I wonder if this is where they store their beef or something. My god."

Once he finished, the Bravo took in a deep breath, waiting a few seconds before turning back to the door.

"Okay, here goes."

Pushing it open, Richard stepped inside, looking around carefully. When he looked to his right, the Bravo leapt back with a start and recoiled, quickly shutting the door behind him with a look of complete terror.

"Back! Get back!" he said quietly, his eyes wide like saucers. "Don't go into that room!"

"Richard what's wrong?" Rebecca asked.

Richard was shaking so furiously that he looked like a man having a fit. Opening his mouth, the Bravo looked as if he were either struggling to find his voice or to throw up. One word escaped from his lips,

"Snake!"

"A _snake_?!" Rebecca exclaimed in disgust, her features paling. Now _she_ felt like throwing up.

"Big fucking snake!" Richard said as he quickly climbed back down.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Chris waved. "What are you so worried about? It's just a snake!"

"_This_ is no ordinary snake, Chris," he shook his head.

Star approached.

"What kind is it?" he asked.

"I don't know, but it's enormous, with huge-ass fangs!" Richard replied.

Rebecca shook.

_'It's like in my dream!'_ the medic dreadfully recalled, her color fading.

"H-How large?" she queried, nervous about the answer.

The Bravo spread his arms wide open.

"That's the size of its head from side to side." he indicated.

Star and Rebecca exchanged nervous looks.

"What?" Chris smiled disbelievingly. "Oh, _come on_!"

Aiken shook his head.

"No, no! It's absolutely true, Chris!" he said lowly, giving nervous glances to the door up top.

Chris gave him a doubtful look.

"Richard, come on. You're exaggerating. Let me take a look."

Just as the Alpha was about to climb up the stairs, Richard grabbed him by the arm, shaking his head furiously.

"No, please don't, Chris!" he pleaded.

Redfield pulled away. "It's alright, Richard. I'll take care of it."

Rebecca watched in dread as he climbed up to the door, then drew it open.

"Now, let's see where GOOD SWEET CHRIST!" Chris suddenly jerked away, startled as he hastily shut the door. Looking back to her and the others, Rebecca watched as he stared at them all with a look of alarm.

"I warned you," Aiken glared.

"It's huge!"

"No shit, Sherlock!" the Bravo hissed.

Star stepped forward.

"I want to see."

Rebecca nodded, swallowing nervously.

"So do I."

* * *

Pushing the door open, Rebecca peered inside with Star and the others. The room seemed to be an attic of some sort, a large spacious area with overhead ceiling beams and columns with thick layers of dust and spiderwebs everywhere. The smell was just awful, so awful that the survivors had to plug their noses with the collars of their shirts. Lying sprawled beside a fireplace at the end with its back facing them, however, was a massive mound. Rebecca stared open-mouth.

"Oh my god," she whispered.

Copperish in color with patches of green, the animal had diamond-like scales with various lesions, tumors and sores sprouting from parts of its body. From its size, the snake must have been forty feet long with a head the size of an SUV car hood, looking as if it was big enough to eat a person whole.

"Look at it!" Star gaped quietly.

"Any idea what kind of snake this is?" Aiken asked nervously.

"From the teeth, I'd say it's a viper of some sort," Star noted. He then looked to Rebecca. "What do you think, Rebecca?"

The medic took note of its features, looking at the tail.

"It looks like some mutated form of Northern Pacific rattlesnake, but the tip of the tail is completely rotted off," she whispered. "Look at all those tumors and sores on its body! I wonder if it's in pain..."

Aiken raised his weapon.

"What are you doing?!" Chris hissed, grabbing his arm.

"Just going to put it out of its misery." Aiken whispered.

"Don't!" Rebecca waved. "Let's go outside to discuss this."

Chris nodded.

Aiken frowned. "Fine."

Pulling back, the survivors quietly closed the door behind them, casting one final glance to the snake.

* * *

Rebecca watched as Chris pinched the bridge of his nose.

"This just keeps on getting better and better," he muttered.

"What are we going to do about it?" Aiken asked.

Chris frowned. "What _can_ we do about it, Richard? We don't have enough ammunition."

"Maybe we should call for backup," the Bravo suggested. "I bet a combined effort can take that thing down!"

"Why do we even have to kill it?" Star asked.

The survivors looked at him incredulously.

"Excuse me?" Aiken exclaimed.

"You heard me," the albino nodded. "Why not just leave it alone?"

"What are you, nuts?! Have you seen that thing?!"

"It's not bothering anyone. For now, anyway."

"Yeah, but what about when it gets hungry?" Chris said pointedly.

"Snakes have a slower metabolism than other species," Star explained. "They can go for weeks without food."

The survivors stared at him.

"What? I watch the Discovery channel," the red-draped albino said innocently.

Rebecca frowned.

"Even if that's true, Star," she nodded, "it's still an infected animal. We don't know what else the t-Virus has altered in its physiology, plus, even if it's locked up securely, there is always the threat of some animal or insect consuming its waste, shed skin or discharge from a popped pustule."

Star looked to the floor, troubled and uncertain.

"...I just don't like the idea of committing senseless, unprovoked violence," he said disapprovingly. "Especially when it's so...unnecessary."

Rebecca put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know, Star," she said. "Neither do I. If it were up to me, I'd leave this thing alone and hope it never bothers us. By the same token, though, Umbrella infected it and left it up here for god knows how long. It's clearly suffering."

Star digested her points. Exhaling, his shoulders sagged.

"Damn." he said quietly. Sighing, the youth nodded. "You are right, I'm sorry." Looking to the door upstairs, his lips curled in disgust. "Bloody Umbrella!"

Rebecca nodded in agreement, then turned back to Chris. "So what do we do?"

She watched as Chris pondered the question.

"Which of you had some experience with snakes?" he asked.

Star and Aiken raised their hands.

"Okay. Have any of you handled snakes before?"

Rebecca watched as the albino took his hand down.

"Any suggestions, Richard?"

Aiken looked curiously to Star.

"You said that you were bitten when you were a kid, right?" he asked.

"Yes," Star nodded. "Three or four times on the ankle."

"So in theory you should have some immunity to its bite."

The albino scowled.

"That's not how mithridatism works," he replied.

Chris blinked. "Mithri-what?"

"Mithradatism," Star repeated. "It's the practice of building a resistance to poisons in the hopes of building immunity. While certainly it's possible to build up a tolerance over time to snake venom, it's a slow and gradual process. Even if I have theoretically developed a tolerance to the venom from one species of snake, I'm pretty that doesn't mean it's applicable to another."

"Not just that," Rebecca spoke up, drawing their attention, "but I'm also worried about the damage those fangs could inflict _without_ the venom. I mean, they're practically as long as railroad spikes!"

Redfield frowned. "Any other suggestions?"

"Perhaps we could apply something to the door to discourage the damn thing from getting any bright ideas and try to leave," Aiken shrugged.

"Sounds like a great idea," the Alpha nodded. "Now comes the next question - with what?"

Rebecca watched as Richard raised his eyes, knitting his brows together.

"Let's see...um...I heard that garlic and onions are very useful snake repellants. Cinnamon is also supposed to be effective, along with sulfur powder, vinegar-"

Star frowned, drawing his attention.

"What?" Aiken demanded.

"While I am no herpetologist myself, I'm pretty sure none of those are effective snake repellants," the albino replied.

"Well according to my neighbor they worked on a rat snake," the Bravo retorted.

"With all due respect, Officer Aiken," Star said patiently, "but what works with _one_ species may not work on another. As far as I know, there isn't _one_ sure method for repelling _all_ snakes."

"Do you think it could work?" Chris asked.

The albino considered it, then shook his head.

"...I don't know. I doubt it, but... I suppose it wouldn't hurt giving it a try."

Rebecca felt Chris' eyes on her.

"Rebecca?"

"Vinegar..." Rebecca's eyes widened. "I think there may be some in that dining room back there."

"I'll go check." Richard volunteered as he headed back down the corridor.

"Would poison work?" Chris asked.

The albino looked thoughtfully to the floor.

"I don't know, to be honest," Star replied. "We have no idea if t-Virus-infected animals can even be affected by poison. Assuming that it can, though...I have no idea how much would be needed, especially for something as large as that snake."

Rebecca tapped her foot as she pondered the problem.

"We could try lowering the temperature and freeze the damn thing, but there's two problems."

"And what's that, Rebecca?" Chris asked curiously.

"For one, I have no idea where the temperature controls are around here," she answered, "plus, I'm worried it might try escaping into some other room."

"But surely it's secured in there!"

"Star and I heard something shuffling around in the walls and ceiling earlier, so unless there just happens to be another snake slithering around that we don't know about, I think chances are that it's managed to find a way to navigate itself around out from that room."

Aiken came back, holding up a bottle of vinegar. "Got it! I'll go sprinkle some on the door."

Rebecca watched as he climbed up the stairs, unscrewing the bottle as he did so. Once he was on the top landing, Aiken started to douse the floor and door with the bottle of vinegar until it was completely empty.

"Okay, that should keep Mr. Snake away for a while." Aiken said assuredly.

He took one step down when the door crashed into his back, knocking him onto the floor. Filling the entire frame with its gigantic bulky mass, the snake lifted its head into the air, its forked tongue flicking around as it stared down at the survivors. Rebecca stood there, staring up shakily, not moving a muscle. She watched as the animal slowly drew its head back, opening its fanged mouth so wide that the creature looked like it was...yawning...

Just as the creature dived toward them, Chris fired, knocking it back as it gave a loud shriek.

"RUN!" he yelled as he helped Aiken up from the floor.

The survivors sprinted out of the room, the creature in hot pursuit as it slithered after them, bullets bouncing off its hide and popping pus-filled blisters open. Making their way back into the pillar room, Rebecca turned her head to see the snake chasing after Star as he ducked around the column, the animal hungrily snapping its jaws, narrowly missing him.

"Star!" Rebecca yelled.

"Get out of here!" Star shouted back as he rounded the pillar, ducking low to avoid the reptile's bite. "I'll try luring it back!" Turning to face the snake, he waved his arms in the air, yelling at it. "Hey! Hey! Hey, over here! That's right! Come and get me!"

She watched as the red-draped albino ran back to the attic, the serpent slithering after him as he bolted. Following after the pair, the survivors watched as the snake single-mindedly pursued him up the stairs. Just as Star reached the top, the reptile lunged.

* * *

The moment he saw it lunge in his direction, Star quickly dodged to the side, the animal just barely missing him.

A satisfied smirk crept its way up the corner of one side of the youth's mouth.

_'Sorry, but I'm faster. Better luck next-'_

The thought was cut off when the albino felt himself jerk forward with a startled yell, crashing down onto his side as he was violently yanked by his left arm.

_ 'What's going on?!'_ his brain demanded, trying to figure out what happened. Had he miscalculated his timing?

Before the boy had a chance to think, he felt himself being roughly dragged along the floor, causing him to cry out before suddenly finding himself being hoisted several feet in the air with his feet dangling. Looking back to the entrance, he watched as the survivors returned back in.

"HELP! HELP!" Star yelled as he struggled. "It's got me!"

* * *

Rebecca worriedly watched as the albino swung helplessly around from the animal's mouth.

_'What happened?'_ She wondered.

Looking to the youth's left arm, she discovered the truth of what had occurred; while he had been quick enough to evade its bite, one of his bags had ended up getting ensnared in one of its damn fangs.

"Star it's got your bag!" Rebecca shouted, pointing to the bag. "Let go of it!"

"I can't!" he shouted back as he wriggled, trying to pry himself loose.

"Let go of the bag!"

"No!"

"It's not worth your life, you idiot!"

"It has my clothes and research notes for my thesis!" Star called back.

Rebecca scowled. That stubborn-

Raising her weapon, she tried to aim, but because the animal was constantly shaking about, it was difficult to get a proper shot. If she wasn't careful, she could end up hitting Star instead.

Lowering it, the girl took a step forward when she felt Chris' hand on her shoulder, holding her back.

"Rebecca what are you doing?" he demanded.

The medic wrenched herself free. "I'm going to save Star."

"It's too dangerous, Rebecca!" Chris protested.

Looking back to the snake and the albino, she studied them, trying to figure out the best method of getting the latter off unharmed.

"Don't do it, Rebecca!" Chris pled.

_'Maybe a little weight can help get Star's suitcase loose.'_ Came the thought.

Rebecca took in a deep breath, kneeling low. This was a bad idea.

_'Just imagine it's a swing,'_ the medic thought determinedly. It's a giant swing, not a snake.

This was a _really_ bad idea.

"Rebecca-"

Running toward the giant animal at full burst, the medic jumped up and grabbed Star by his waist, causing him to let out a surprised grunt and look down to her.

Worst. Idea. Ever.

"What are you doing?!" Star called.

"I'm trying to save your life!" she called back.

"Let go! You'll get killed!"

The snake shrieked as it violently shook its reptilian head back and forth. Now they were both swinging wildly.

* * *

Chris watched as the two teenagers screamed, Rebecca hanging on for dear life as she squeezed her arms around Star's midsection.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me!"

Hearing Joseph's voice, he turned around to see him and Jill staring open-mouthed at the sight.

"Don't just stand there, guys!" Aiken snapped. "Help them!"

The S.T.A.R.S. members raised their weapons and took aim when there came a crash.

"What the hell?" Chris swore as he and the others wobbled unsteadily.

The floor buckled as something rose from underneath, knocking them off their feet. Looking back up, Redfield's eyes widened in alarm as a gigantic eyeless serpentine head emerged from underneath, roaring loudly.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Aiken shouted. "Another one?!"

"Watch yourself! We need to-" Redfield was cut off as another eyeless head came roaring out, followed by another, and another, and another. "What...the..."

Five eyeless heads attached to long serpentine necks about three or four feet thick rose twelve feet in the air above the survivors, the necks attached to an immense dark body.

"You have got to be fucking joking!" Jill swore. "This has to be some sort of joke!"

Chris stared in amazement. It was a hydra! A goddamn hydra, like in the 'Jason and the Argonauts' movie he and Claire used to watch as kids! The beast's body was forty feet long and, by Chris' estimates, probably five feet wide. Four of the heads were pinkish bronze in color, looking like the intestines of some giant that were somehow endowed with life and given teeth, while the one in the center was cerulean and horned, like a dragon.

As the heads rose to their full glory, they unleashed a loud, bellowing roar that made the survivors flinch.

"Where did King Ghidorah come from?!" Joseph yelled as he uncovered his ears.

"I don't know, but we need to keep that thing away from those kids!" Chris said as he fired his weapon, the others joining in at this new arrival.

Round after round pounded into its hide with little to no effect as it continued toward the survivors.

"It's not working!" Joseph yelled as he fired his shotgun. One of the heads reared back and lunged toward Chris, the Alpha Point Man ducking out of the way. Chris felt the air displaced as it moved past him, staring at its skin, wincing at the awful stink of its body as its head pulled back, continuing toward them.

"Its skin is too thick!" he yelled. "See if you can find a weak spot!"

He watched as one head lunged for Jill, the others snapping hungrily at the S.T.A.R.S. officers as it slithered seemingly in a slow, deliberate manner.

Before anyone could react, the hydra lunged toward the snake, their multiple heads biting into its neck and body, causing it to let out a pained shriek. Star and Rebecca screamed as they swung wildly from side to side, narrowly avoiding the hungry maws as they tore all around them, their bodies slamming into their armored necks. Tossing its head back in a violent arc, screaming as it was being eaten alive, the injured serpent suddenly whipped its head to the side, throwing the teenagers toward the survivors, the youths rolling along the ground with a grunt. Chris ran forward, kneeling over them.

"Are you two okay?" he asked worriedly. Rebecca winced as she gave a thumbs up. Helping her up, he then turned to Star. "How about you, kid?"

The albino groaned. "A little sore, but I'll live."

Looking back to the snakes, he was surprised to find the two ceasing their efforts. The hydra was curling itself around the other, its tail wrapping with the injured one's tail. It no longer seemed hostile.

"What's going on?" Chris wondered, puzzled by this shift in behavior.

Star got to his feet, turning around to see what he was talking about.

"What is it doing?" Jill asked.

Star paled. "Oh god..."

"What?" Aiken asked.

"I think-"

"What?"

_Something_ slipped out.

The survivors stared blankly ahead.

Jill blinked. "...Is that-"

"Don't. Even. Say it," Chris groaned.

"Ew!" Rebecca said, looking away in disgust.

"This is something you'll never see in a monster movie," Joseph muttered, staring.

"God, I think I'm going to be sick!" Aiken groaned.

The survivors continued to watch.

"...Why the hell are we watching this for?!" Aiken demanded. "Let's leave already!"

"Not until we finish this," Chris said determinedly. "If we let it go, it will breed."

"But they're two different species!" Star protested. "There is no way they can possibly produce offspring!"

Chris aimed his weapon at the exposed part. "I'm sorry, but I can't take that chance."

Firing, he watched as the hydra reared itself up, shrieking, blood oozing along the floor. Darting toward the fireplace, the hydra disappeared, leaving its injured mate behind. Looking back to the other, Chris and the others watched as the animal weakly moved, trying to get away. From the injuries, it didn't have much longer to go on, its movements sluggish.

As Chris raised his weapon again, he paused.

Even though this creature was extremely dangerous...he couldn't really hate it. It was an animal, an unfortunate victim of Umbrella's. At first, Redfield _felt_ like a hero; after all, wasn't this the sort of thing heroes had done in books, movies and comics all the time? To fight the monster and save the maiden? Back at the office, Chris used to imagine this moment, doing something exactly like this, fighting off a giant monster, lion or bear with Jill in his arms, and in those daydreams Raccoon City would be cheering him, proclaiming him to be their savior and hero, with Jill and Claire looking proudly on.

Seeing the dying monster at his feet...at this moment, the Alpha Point Man didn't feel like a hero.

At all.

On the contrary. He felt just awful.

Looking to the other survivors, he studied their gloomy faces as they stared down the fallen beast. Rebecca was crying as the snake painfully breathed, the animal twitching and shuddering. Even Jill gave it a pitying look as its breathing started to slow. Glancing back to his fallen enemy, Chris aimed his weapon at its gigantic slit eye, his finger heavy on the trigger. The attic was quiet and dark, but for a split second, it was disrupted by a flash and a bang. Once the snake ceased its movements and breathing altogether, Chris shakily turned his back away, trying desperately to keep his composure as he holstered his weapon.

Joseph whistled. "That was cold, man."

"It had to be done, Joseph," Chris replied, his voice barely recognizable to himself, trying to convince him as much as he was trying to convince himself. "It was dying. I was doing it a favor."

Keeping his eyes straight ahead, he pushed past the survivors.

* * *

Jill watched Chris as he walked on.

"Chris, are you okay?" she asked concernedly.

"I'm fine, I just want to get out of here." Chris replied. "I can't stand the smell. I'll meet you guys at the pillar room, okay?"

Jill could sense something was wrong, but the Alpha didn't bother to push, merely nodding. As he disappeared from view, she looked back to the others.

"Unbelievable," Aiken said as he shook his head.

"I guess we're officially monster hunters now, huh?" Joseph shrugged as he ran his gaze along the snake's body.

"Sure looks that way," Jill replied as she watched Rebecca apply some fresh bandages onto Star's shoulder, the albino's coat and shirt partially hanging from his scarred shoulders.

"I told you this would happen," the medic scolded.

"How was I supposed to know that I'd be dangling up in the air by a giant snake?" Star protested. As she finished, the albino buttoned himself up, leaving the coat open.

"You okay?" Jill asked as she approached the two.

Rebecca nodded. Star picked up his suitcase, his eyes narrowing in displeasure. Part of the bag was dark and soaked. Giving it a sniff, he cringed with disgust.

"UGH!"

"What?" Rebecca asked.

"That bloody snake has soaked the bag with its venom!" the albino growled. Opening it up, he studied its contents, his scarred face becoming grimmer. "Everything in here now stinks!"

"When we get back to the station, you can use the washing machine there," Jill assured.

Pulling out his clothes, the albino studied them. Some of them were torn. Taking out a bag of apples, he gave a sad look.

"My apples..." he pouted.

Looking back to his case, his eyes fell on a book, exhaling miserably. Stabbed straight through the center was a massive fang that had been dislodged from its owner's mouth.

"Goddamn it," Star sighed as he picked up the book. Turning the cover toward him, Jill watched as the youth stared for several seconds, blinking. A minute later, he put his hand up to cover his face, his whole form shaking.

Exchanging puzzled and concerned looks with the others, Jill watched as Rebecca gave the boy a worried look.

"...Star?" she asked hesitantly. Pulling his hand away, Star started to laugh. Jill gave a quizzical look to her, the younger girl merely shrugging before looking back to the albino in concern. "...Are you okay?"

He showed her the cover. Jill watched as Rebecca blinked several times, then giggled, the giggle eventually turning into full-blown laughter. The S.T.A.R.S. members glanced to each other as the teenagers roared in hilarity.

"Uhh guys? Is everything alright here?" the Alpha woman asked.

Star shook his head disbelievingly as he continued to laugh. "It-it had to be this book!"

"What?" Aiken asked.

Jill watched as the red-draped figure turned the book around toward them, showing the survivors the cover.

'A Farewell to Arms' by Ernest Hemingway.

At the sight of the title, Jill and the others burst out laughing, their voices echoing through the attic.

"I hated this book anyway!" Star said between breaths.

As they settled back down, Jill watched as Aiken approached, taking the book from him.

"Well," the Bravo shrugged, "at least you get a souvenir out of this."

Star curled his lip in revulsion. Grabbing hold of the tooth, Aiken jerked his hand back.

"Ow!"

"Richard are you okay?" Rebecca said worriedly.

"Yeah, I just scratched myself with this-"

No sooner had he said the words that Aiken started to wobble unsteadily on his feet, his color draining as he fell backwards.

"RICHARD!"


	12. Chapter Eleven: Poisoned

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Eleven: Poisoned**

Rebecca hunched over Richard, checking him worriedly as Chris came racing back.

"What happened?" Redfield asked.

"I think he's been poisoned," Rebecca said as she took of her backpack.

"Poisoned?" he repeated. "How? He wasn't bit."

"Richard had pricked himself with a dislodged fang. From his reaction, it still had traces of venom on it," the medic explained as she opened up her bag and sifted through its contents.

"Do you think you can treat it?" Star asked nervously.

"The antidote in my bag should work," Rebecca assured as she put on some latex gloves. At least, she hoped it did.

Taking out a bottle and a First Aid kit, she extracted a hypodermic needle, causing the albino to blanch and look away while she carefully read the instructions on the back of the bottle. Once the Bravo medic found the appropriate dosage, she carefully extracted the specified amount with the needle. Pulling the cap off, Rebecca started to swab Richard's wrist with a bit of alcohol and a piece of cotton, then carefully inserted the needle into the vein. Finishing, she pulled the needle away, pressing the cotton firmly down, covering it with a bandaid.

"It's done," Rebecca nodded. "He just needs some rest. I'll have to keep an eye on him to make sure, though. We should get him out of here before that thing comes back."

"I'll carry him," Star offered.

Rebecca shook her head. "No, Star."

"But-"

"You'll reopen the wound on your shoulder," she pointed out, "plus you're carrying your suitcases. As much as I appreciate the offer, you're not Superman."

Chris approached. "I can help."

"Same here," Joseph volunteered

"Okay," Rebecca nodded, watching as they moved to Richard's side.

"On three," Chris announced. "One. Two. Three!"

Letting out grunts of exertion, they picked Aiken up from off the ground, the Bravo's arms draped around their shoulders.

"Okay, buddy, let's get you somewhere comfortable and safe." Chris nodded. "Everything is going to be okay."

"Any place spring to mind?" Star asked as he loaded up his suitcase and picked it up, grabbing hold of the other.

"I was going to suggest the bar," Redfield replied, "but since the storage room has a bed..."

He trailed off.

"I see," Star sighed.

"I'll take the lead. Rebecca, with me," Jill said, raising her weapon. Rebecca brought up her own, watching as the older woman stepped back down through the door. "All clear."

Once Chris and Joseph exited, Star went after. Giving the attic and the snake one last look, Rebecca turned around, shuddering in disgust.

* * *

Floors and doors creaked and groaned for the survivors as they marched along, eying every shadow and corner. Although everything seemed empty, Rebecca knew better than to let her guard down. Paintings and windows watched their every move, the walls feeling as if they were closing in. Despite the lush furnishings and lovely wallpaper, the mansion seemed more like a bear trap that was ready to spring; all it would take, the medic knew, was one careless step, and then the steel jaws come crushing down without warning.

As the survivors began their journey back, Rebecca looked over to Jill.

"Thanks for coming," she said gratefully.

Jill smiled. "Don't mention it, kid."

As they slipped back down the stairs one by one, something nagged at the medic. Then it hit her.

"Jill?"

"Yes, Rebecca?"

"...Out of curiosity... how did you and Joseph get here so quickly? How did you find us?"

Jill shrugged. "We found some stairs. All we had to do was just follow the screams and gunshots."

Rebecca blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry," she said awkwardly as she cleared her throat. "Stupid question."

"It's okay," the older woman said, raising a hand.

The teenager nervously glanced around as they moved past the pillar room.

"...So..." Jill spoke, "you and Wolf..."

Rebecca blinked.

"Me and Star what?" she asked innocently.

Jill gave her a _suggestive_ look. The medic sighed.

"There's nothing going on between us, Jill."

"Uh huh." Jill said, unconvinced.

"It's true!" Rebecca squeaked indignantly. "Star is just a friend!"

The Alpha laughed. "I'm just teasing, Rebecca!"

"Yeah, yeah, very funny, Jill," the medic said as she rolled her eyes. "Go ahead, pick on the newbie."

Jill then looked over her shoulder at the albino. "In all seriousness, though...what do you think? Do you think he's actually Wesker's son?"

Rebecca glanced over to him, then looked back to Jill.

"I'm not sure," the Bravo said honestly. "He's pretty certain that he is, but I don't really see any resemblance. If he is, then it's possible he inherited his eyes from the Captain."

She watched as Jill shivered.

"Uhh. I just had an image of Captain Wesker with those eyes. It's kind of creepy to think about." Valentine replied.

Rebecca shrugged. Jill looked back to her curiously.

"Is there a name for his condition?"

"According to Star it's a genetic disorder called 'Cat's Eye Syndrome'," Rebecca answered.

"'Cat's Eye Syndrome'?" The Alpha repeated.

"Also known as Schmid-Fraccaro Syndrome. Apparently it's a genetic disorder caused by a chromosomal abnormality and is hereditary."

Jill blinked in surprise. "Huh." She tilted her head up thoughtfully. "I guess that explains why Captain Wesker wears sunglasses all the time. He must be pretty sensitive about it."

Rebecca looked to her curiously.

"Do you...think he was bullied as a kid?" she asked hesitantly.

Jill considered it.

"...If you had asked me before tonight, I'd have said no, just because the idea of anyone picking on the Captain, even as a kid, just seems so...odd. Wesker always seems like he could handle himself." the Alpha shifted. "However, if he does it have this...'Cat's Eye Syndrome'...I don't know. Maybe? I guess it would explain some things about him," The older woman glanced back to Star. "What about that discoloration in his eyes? Is that part of his condition as well?"

"I'm not sure," Rebecca shook her head. "Star said that even his own doctor was stumped by it. Personally I think it's an infection, but I don't really know myself."

At the word "infection", Rebecca noticed Jill giving her a concerned look, causing the medic to regret her choice of words.

"...Rebecca...what do you think of him?" the latter asked quietly.

The Bravo medic hesitated. "...What do you mean?"

Jill shifted uncomfortably.

"I don't really know how to say this, but...has he...ever...struck you as..._strange_?"

Rebecca detected the conspiratorial note in her tone.

"What are you thinking?"

Jill frowned.

"I don't mean to be offensive or anything, but...every time I see him...I keep...getting odd...vibes from him."

Rebecca stopped, drawing her attention along with everyone else's.

"Is everything okay, girls?" Chris called.

Rebecca looked back.

"Uh yeah, everything is fine!" she responded. Shifting her attention back to Jill , the medic gave a slight nod. "I know what you mean. Richard had felt the same way earlier. Sometimes even _I_ would pick up on it. With that said, though...I would then think about Star's other qualities..."

Jill gave a teasing smile.

"Why Rebecca! Don't tell me you have a crush now, do you?"

The medic blushed. "N-no, I was just saying! Don't be ridiculous."

"Oh come on, Rebecca, you can tell a girl if you do. He _is_ kind of cute."

Rebecca raised a brow. "Are you sure it's not _you_ with the crush?"

Jill scoffed.

"Nah. He's too young," she stated. "Plus, I already have a guy."

Rebecca looked at her in surprise.

"You do? Who?"

The B&E specialist gave a glance behind, gesturing with a tilt of her head. Peeking over her shoulder, Rebecca found herself looking at Chris, then turned back to Jill in shock.

"...You and-"

"Yep."

"How long?"

Jill smiled.

"Since the day we met," she replied quietly. "Of course, we've always been careful." She shifted with discomfort. "...I know it's a workplace violation, but...it would be greatly appreciated if you didn't mention this to anyone, especially the Captain."

Rebecca gave a thumbs up.

"You can count on me!"

* * *

The moon gleamed over the mansion, casting its pale light over the building.

* * *

Once the survivors returned back to the store room in the west wing, Rebecca watched as Chris and Joseph lowered Richard carefully down onto the bed. As they cleared away, she stepped toward him.

"How are you feeling, Richard?" the medic asked.

"Like shit," he grumbled.

"Would you like us to take your vest off?"

"Sure." Aiken said reluctantly.

Unzipping his combat vest, Rebecca carefully took it off from his shoulders, putting it on the desk beside the bed.

"Does that feel better?"

He nodded drowsily. She carefully checked his vitals.

"Okay, now get some rest, Richard. If you need anything, just let me know, alright?"

"Sure, Rebecca," Aiken said tiredly, his eyes closed. As the Bravo nodded off, Rebecca looked back to Chris and the others.

"Thanks guys," the medic nodded appreciatively.

"No prob, rookie," Joseph nodded back.

"Is he going to be okay?" Chris asked.

"He just needs some rest. I'll keep an eye on him, though, just to be sure," Rebecca said.

The Alpha Point Man sighed.

"Okay." He then turned to Star. "Sorry, kid, but I'm going to need you to stay here with them."

Star nodded. "Alright."

Chris looked back to Rebecca. "Rebecca, in the event that you're in trouble and need help-"

"I'll call you, Jill or Joseph," the Bravo medic nodded. "Good luck, guys."

Jill nodded back. "You too, Rebecca."

As the Alphas departed again, Rebecca glanced over to Star.

"Well," she sighed, "it's just us again."

The albino set down his suitcases.

"I'll sit here and keep watch while you take the chair," Star said as he sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall.

"Are you sure?" Rebecca asked. "Wouldn't you be more comfortable on the chair?"

He waved. "You need it more than I do. I'll be fine."

She shrugged. "Okay."

As the two sat quietly together in the room, Rebecca watched as Star pulled his hood off, leaning his head back with a sigh.

"Exciting night, huh?" the medic shrugged.

The albino scoffed. "No kidding." He then looked at her curiously. "...Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" she asked.

"Save me? I thought you were terrified of snakes."

Rebecca frowned.

"I am," she replied, "but...if I had done nothing... you would have gotten killed. I had to do _something_ to help you. Granted, it wasn't the _best_ decision I've ever made, but... I don't regret it."

"Even with the potential threat that I pose?" the red-draped albino asked.

Rebecca was still at first, then she nodded. "Yes."

"Why?"

Rebecca shrugged nonchalantly. "Aside from my...other reasons for joining, in general, I just want to help people. That... and... well... I like you."

Star looked at her in shock.

"Don't look so surprised, Star," the medic giggled, her features softening. "Whether you're infected or not, I _do_ care about you. And...so long as I'm alive...I want to do everything I can to help you."

The albino continued looking at her, his face unreadable.

"Rebecca?"

"Yes, Star?"

"...Thank you."

Rebecca smiled. "Any time."

Leaning back against the wall, Star heaved a sigh.

"I wish I had some extra apples," the albino said wistfully. "Or even a book."

Hearing that, Rebecca dug through the bowels of her backpack, searching around until finally pulling out the item she sought.

"Here," she called, tossing the book to him. Glancing to her in surprise as he caught it, the medic watched as he curiously looked at the cover, then looked back to her, raising a brow.

"...Garfield?" he said with amusement.

"What?" she said innocently. "I like Garfield. Don't tell me you're too good for it."

He smiled. "Not at all! Thank you, Rebecca."

The medic watched as he leaned back, flipping it open and read quietly, chuckling at the strips inside.

* * *

The Alphas continued their way back to F-shaped corridor when Chris froze.

"...Did we explore this room?" he asked, pointing to a door that was neatly tucked into the side wall beside the exit.

"I don't think so," Jill answered honestly. "I didn't even see it until now."

"Same here," Joseph replied.

Looking back to the door, Chris gave a shrug as he grabbed the knob. "Well, here goes nothing."

Chris glanced around the room as the entered. It was tiny space covered by large carpets and cluttered with furniture, with a desk in a corner that had some picture frames hanging over it, a shelf with a ladder to the left, a dresser, a large kerosene jug in the middle and various chairs. Checking the desk, he tried pulling it open.

"Locked."

Jill stepped forward. "Leave it to me, Chris."

Redfield watched as she kneeled down, taking out her trusty lockpicks. Minutes later, there came a click.

"And, done," Jill said, giving a satisfied grin as she put her lockpicks away. Pulling open the drawer, she gasped.

"What?" Chris asked.

He watched as she extracted a Colt Python handgun out. Joseph grinned.

"Now we're talking!" he nodded approvingly. "Does it have any ammo?"

Jill checked the cylinder, nodding. "Yep. Five rounds."

Tucking it into her belt, the Alpha went back to checking the desk.

"Anything else?" Chris asked.

"I found a Flashbang," she said, pocketing the item.

"Nice," the Point Man nodded.

"Some handgun ammo," Jill called, handing the clip to Chris. Taking it, he divided up the rounds between himself, Jill and Joseph. Once the trio finished reloading, they stored the rest into their pockets. Turning around, Jill continued her search.

"Let's see...ooh, shotgun shells! Looks like you're in luck, Joseph!"

Joseph grinned as she tossed him the box of ammo. Once he finished reloading, he cocked his Mossberg. "Groovy."

Chris raised a brow at him.

"How long have you been waiting to say that?" he asked.

Joseph's smile grew larger. "You have no idea!"

The Alpha Point Man rolled his eyes.

"Let's check the rest of this place and see if there's anything useful we can use. You check the shelf."

Minutes passed as the trio navigated through the clutter. Chris coughed as dust sprung up into the air, waving his hands around as he checked each nook and cranny.

"I found a shotgun," Joseph called from the shelf, "but it's broken."

"Let's take it with us," Jill suggested. "Maybe we can find something to repair it with."

"I don't know, Jill," the Omni Man shook his head. "This thing looks pretty useless. The only way it could be useful is as a club, to be honest."

Chris sighed.

"Well, it's better than nothing," he replied. "Let's take it with us just the same."

Joseph shrugged, then tossed it to Jill.

Just as the trio were about to head back outside, Jill raised a hand. "Wait."

Chris looked at her curiously.

"What?"

He watched as the B&E Specialist went over to the kerosene jug, lifting it up as she sloshed it around.

"The Captain said to load up on some kerosene," Jill said as she took a small canister out from her fanny pack. "Might as well make use of this."

Screwing open the cap, she poured the contents from the jug into the bottle before sealing it up.

"I don't suppose either of you have a lighter of a match, do you?" she asked.

Joseph shook his head regretfully.

"I do," Chris said as he took out his lighter, tossing it over to her. "Here."

Catching it, she nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Chris. I'll be sure to give this back."

Frost frowned. "You know, it just occurred to me - with all these fucking zombies and monsters everywhere, why not burn this entire place down?"

"That would be a great idea..." Chris started, "...if it weren't for the fact that A, we would have no shelter, B, we'd be exposed, and C, we may end up killing the Captain and/or potential witnesses."

The Omni Man sighed.

"Yeah, you're right. My bad."

Chris clapped him on the shoulder.

"Let's just get through this. Once we find the others and a way out of here, we can set up a bonfire for this shithole and hope whatever's infected burns."

Jill nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

The Alpha Point Man gave Frost a pat on the shoulder. "Let's go, buddy."

Stepping back outside, Chris inhaled, then breathed out, trying to clear his nostrils of dust bunnies.

"Well, all things considered, we've made some decent progress, huh, guys?"

When neither Jill nor Joseph responded, he turned back to face the door.

"Guys?"

The two of them were gone.

Chris glanced around, puzzled by his comrades' disappearance.

"Jill?" he called. "Joseph?"

Where had they gone?

Opening the door, he peeked back inside, then looked around in confusion.

"Jill? Joseph?"

Closing the door behind him again, Chris then peeked through the other door down the hallway.

"Guys? Guys? Come on, guys, this isn't funny."

Searching up and down the F-shaped hall, he scratched his head.

"I wonder where they went." Chris said to himself.

Twisting around on his heel, he took a step toward the door leading back to the stairs when he tripped and fell forward, grunting as he hit the floor.

"God...damn it!" he groaned, pushing himself back up.

If Claire were here, she'd be laughing her ass off at him.

"I hope nobody saw that," Chris muttered.

Something trickled onto the floor.

Looking down curiously, Chris was surprised to see splotches of blood, followed by some red drips. He then realized that it was coming from his nose.

"The hell?" he said as he raised a hand up.

Ah hell, did he break his nose? Crap.

Just as he was about to cover his nostrils, Chris' nose came loose, falling to his feet.

"Wha?" Startled, the Alpha felt around, only to find an empty bloody space. Pulling his shaking hands away, he watched as the flesh on his arms started to melt.

_'What's happening to me?!'_ he thought in alarm.

Was he infected?

His heart thundered and pounded in his head and chest.

Rebecca! He needed to find Rebecca - she'd know what to do!

Running down the corridor toward the stairs, Chris kicked the door open, only to find it empty. Sweeping his hands through his hair, Chris looked around in desperation. Pulling his hands away from his head, he stared in horror as clumps of his scalp and hair peeled off in his hands.

"HELP! HELP!" he screamed. "JILL! REBECCA! WOLF! ANYONE! HELP ME!"

No matter where he ran, no matter how loud he screamed, nobody answered, leaving him alone and afraid. Chris could feel himself rotting. A good portion of his skin had melted away. Checking the bottles on the shelf, he frantically searched for something, opening bottle after bottle, only to find them completely empty. Running up the stairs, he screamed like a mad man, calling for help.

"HELP ME! SOMEONE PLEASE! HELP ME!"

Running back through the dining room, Chris was now completely skinless, a walking horror. He felt the flesh in his own legs oozing down his pants. Even worse, he actually had released his bowels, causing tears to well up in his eyes and a shudder of disgust and humiliation crawl up along his spine.

"HLELP ME!" Chris begged, his voice a gurgling abomination as he sputtered, coughed and spat blood, phlegm and meat. "HLELP! MEEEEEE! PWEASE! HLEEEEEEEELP!"

With a final gurgling cry, the Alpha collapsed to the floor, watching as the flesh of his arm oozed onto the carpet, leaving behind nothing but bone. Chris could feel the rest of his body doing the same,...and yet...for some reason, his own eyes were still open. He could still see, feel and hear everything around him. He wanted to cry out for help...but he couldn't. The Alpha lay there, sprawled on the carpet for some time when a shadow cast itself over him.

_'Who is that?'_ he wondered._ 'Is that you, Jill?'_

He hoped it wasn't - Christ, he wouldn't want Jill to see him like this.

The mystery figure said nothing. It was then that Chris felt a hand grasp hold of the back of his head and neck. There came an audible snap and crackle along with a squelch. The next thing Chris knew, he found himself being lifted up from the floor, staring down at his now headless skeletal body, the S.T.A.R.S. uniform filthy, hanging off his bones.

_'What's going on?!'_ he mentally shrieked. _'What the fuck is happening to me?!'_

Chris felt the hand turn his head to the left, over to its owner. Staring contemptuously at him was a demon, kind of like those medieval depictions of the Devil that he had seen in movies and cartoons complete with satyr-like horns. A towering creature of metal, wire, hoses and sinew with pale eyes and steel horns, the entity held up Chris' head, regarding him as if he were nothing more than a specimen. Once he finished his examination, it gave an awful sneer, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth.

_'Reminds me of Rogan,'_ Chris thought. The Alpha paused. What the hell? Who's "Rogan"?

Redfield tried to think back to where he heard that name, but despite his best efforts, the Alpha was completely stumped. Focusing his attention back to the demon, the two stared at each other, eye to eye. Whatever the hell this thing was, it was smart - Chris could tell just from the look in its eyes.

_'This is just a dream,'_ Chris thought to himself._ 'That's all this is, this just a dream!'_

The creature gave him an amused smirk.

_**'Is it?**_**_'_** Came a voice in Chris' head, a bizarre-sounding thing that was layered and oddly mechanical, startling him. Before he could even respond, Chris felt a sharp pain that was pressing harder and harder into his head. He wanted to scream, but he couldn't; he only watched as his vision darkened. Something cracked and crackled as colors dimmed. Finally, there came a loud crunch.

* * *

"Chris? Chris!"

Fluttering his eyes open, Chris saw Jill and Joseph worriedly looking down upon him. As the memory of what happened returned, he sat up screaming, startling his colleagues.

"Jesus!" Frost yelped.

"Chris, it's okay!" Jill shushed. "It's okay! You're safe."

Chris shakily checked his arms, then felt his face. He was still whole. Wiping sweat away from his brow in relief, the Alpha gave a nervous exhale.

"What happened?" he asked, his throat muscles feeling strangely foreign.

"You just suddenly fainted," Joseph replied.

Redfield glanced up in surprise. "I had?"

"Yeah." Jill nodded. "You really had us worried."

Chris blinked, looking around curiously.

"Huh."

"Why were you screaming?" she asked. "Bad dream?"

As he recalled that awful...experience, he forced back a shudder. "I guess."

"Must have been pretty scary," Valentine said.

"You have no idea," the Alpha Point Man answered.

Helping him up to his feet, Chris stumbled forward, causing the Alphas to catch him.

"Whoa! Easy there, Chris," Joseph said.

Chris looked at his arms and legs, puzzled by the curious sensation he felt.

"You okay?" Jill asked worriedly.

"I...I don't know," he said honestly. "It's like my body feels...new."

She frowned. "Maybe you should sit down and get Rebecca to look at you-"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Chris waved.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he assured, steadying himself against a wall. "I wonder what made me faint?"

"Perhaps you had some sort of allergic reaction?" Joseph suggested.

"To what?"

"Hell if I know," the Omni Man shrugged.

As Chris leaned against the wall, he thought back to that dream. It felt...so...real.

"You okay?" Jill asked.

"...Yeah," he replied. Straightening himself up, he suddenly recalled that name. "Out of curiosity, do either of you know of a Rogan?"

The Alphas gave each other confused looks.

"Uhh nooo." Jill said. "Why?"

Chris sighed. It's just a dream.

"Nothing. My mistake. Let's go."

Making their back to the F-shaped corridor, the Alphas continued on.

"So where to now, Redfield?" Joseph asked.

"We continue checking the east wing," Jill answered. I will check the bottom floor. You and Chris can sweep the upper floors and that attic, see if there are any useful supplies we can use."

"Are you sure, Jill?" Chris asked worriedly.

Jill smiled.

"I can manage on my own," she assured.

Chris sighed. "Okay, but if you need any backup, don't be afraid to let us know."

"You got it." the Alpha nodded.

Redfield nodded.

"Okay." Looking back to the darkened corridor, the Alphas continued their descent.


	13. Chapter Twelve: Trapped

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Songs used: Survivor - "Eye of the Tiger"**

**Boy Meets Girl - "Waiting for a Star to Fall"***

**Author's Notes: Huge shoutout to Martin III for suggesting this song. Thank you very much for your help, dude! :)**

**Chapter Twelve: Trapped**

Barry felt his own insides knot uncomfortably as he paced back and forth, waiting.

"Ah, Barry!" Came that deceptively velvety baritone voice behind him. "How nice to see you."

Barry repressed the urge to growl as he pivoted on his feet, turning around to face his Captain.

"...Wesker," he said lowly.

Wesker coolly approached, his face flat, his black sunglasses gleaming in the light.

"You seem nervous, Barry," he commented casually. "Really, you have no reason to be."

The Weapons Supplier clenched his fists, warily watching the man in the sunglasses. If there was one thing Barry knew about Wesker, it was to never let his guard down for even a moment, especially at his seemingly most affable. Oh, what he would give to beat the ever living daylights out of this fucking guy!

"What do you want?" Barry demanded.

Wesker stood there impassively regarding him, his black sunglasses reflecting Barry's nervous visage.

"Straight to the point, I see," the S.T.A.R.S. Captain said, giving an approving nod. "I like that." He pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose. "How many rooms have you cleared?"

Barry shrugged. "About five or six, Captain."

"Which is it? I need you to be as precise as possible, Barry."

Burton sighed. "Six."

"Are you sure? There is no room for error."

Barry exhaled roughly. "It's six."

"Any complications?"

"No."

The blonde man stood there for several seconds, staring stoically at him as if trying to read him.

_'People at the Station weren't kidding when they nicknamed him the Terminator,'_ Barry thought.

He was so stiff, so mechanical. Interacting with Wesker was like interacting with a computer, so cold, calculating and impartial. For a moment, Barry almost wondered if the man _was_ a machine. If so, it would explain a_ lot_ of things.

After an indeterminate amount of time had passed, Wesker gave a single slow nod.

"Good," he replied. "Continue with what you're doing. Report anything unusual."

As the Alpha Captain turned around, Barry felt the urge to use his Colt Anaconda. The back of Wesker's head was begging to be blown off his shoulders.

For a moment, Barry imagined killing him. Bang! One shot and his arrogant smirking face would be gone. It was so tempting to finish Wesker here and now...but he couldn't. Too much noise would draw some unwanted attention, be it from his own colleagues or whatever the hell haunted this place. That, plus the fact that Barry still had his wife and kids to think about. Watching the man in black disappear into the shadows, Barry turned around, letting out a despondent sigh as he continued onto his next task.

* * *

Rebecca swung her feet lazily as she leaned back in her chair. Star looked up from the book in his gloved hands.

"Everything okay, Rebecca?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I'm alright, just...a little bored, I guess."

Pushing himself off the floor, Star stepped toward her, handing back her book. She smiled.

"Thanks."

The albino nodded, moving back to his seat.

"How is he?" he asked, gesturing to Richard as he settled back down.

"He's fine," Rebecca answered. "Just sleeping."

"Hm." Star grunted as he twiddled his thumbs nervously. "Tell me, Rebecca...what do you think of our chances?"

Rebecca thought it over.

"...Morale seems good, considering," she said honestly, "although it's not much of a substitute for ammunition."

Star nodded.

"Touché."

Opening up the Garfield book, Rebecca thumbed through the pages, giggling at some of the strips inside as the albino sat quietly on the floor. A couple minutes later, he shifted around uncomfortably.

"Given all the screams and gunfire, I'd have expected someone to have heard something," he commented.

Rebecca looked up from her book. "Like who?"

He shrugged. "A hiker? Maybe a road man passing by? Hell, even emergency services, what with the blazing Umbrella facility outside."

She nodded. "I know what you mean. That said, though, given the lengths Umbrella is going to keep this all a secret..."

Star sighed. "True." He raised his head up from the wall, looking at her curiously. "...Now that you mention it, it seems odd this place isn't overrun with Umbrella soldiers. Why is that?"

Rebecca opened her mouth, then paused.

"...That actually is a good question," she said, putting her hand onto her chin, lowering her eyes in contemplation.

"Any thoughts or theories?"

Rebecca's brow furrowed.

"...You said that Kenneth told you that Umbrella had plans for S.T.A.R.S., right?"

"Yes."

She put the book away. "Tell me exactly what Kenneth told you verbatim."

Star leaned his head back, speaking in Kenneth's voice. "'It's too bad that I have to kill the both of you, but what can I do? You know too much, and that jeopardises my employers' plans for S.T.A.R.S. I can't have either of you warning them now, can I?'"

Rebecca stared, unnerved by both the message and by the albino's vocal rendition of her coworker.

"...Rebecca?"

"...Uh, sorry," the medic spoke, "it's just...that was...incredible! You sounded just like him!"

The albino youth stretched out his arms, letting out a tired yawn. "It was a trick I learned when I was at the circus."

Rebecca shook her head, marvelling at him.

"You're lucky," she said.

He shrugged.

"So...any thoughts on what Officer Sullivan said?" he asked.

Rebecca leaned back in her chair.

"You know too much, and that jeopardises my employers' plans for S.T.A.R.S..." she murmured softly. If she was a multibillion dollar conglomerate and she just received news that t-Virus was loose, what would she do? How would she salvage the situation? How could she involve S.T.A.R.S.?

Rebecca frowned. _Why_ would they involve S.T.A.R.S.? Doing so was surely _against_ their best interests.

...Wasn't it?

Her frown deepened.

Star mentioned earlier about the possibility of Umbrella using them as part of their experiments, which was admittedly _quite_ possible, but presumably that would have meant Umbrella soldiers entering the equation, and since nobody had encountered them - so far, anyway - there has to be something more, but what?

She sighed.

"I don't really know, Star," Rebecca replied.

He grunted. "Well, that makes two of us."

As the quiet settled, the medic shifted in her seat. After she checked on Richard, she settled back down, opening up her book.

"So..." she began, "...do you read comics?"

Star nodded.

"Yes."

"Any kind in particular?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "X-Men, although I might read the occasional Spiderman or Superman comic."

She looked at him in surprise.

"What?" Star said.

"Nothing, just surprised that you'd like X-Men."

"You don't, I take it?"

"No I do, it's just...you seem so...old fashioned." Rebecca said honestly.

He gave a small snort.

"While I prefer a lot of classic literature, I do indulge in the occasional comic or movie. Eleanor...that is, my mother...was more open-minded than others back in Arkham and wanted to expose me to things she felt that a boy should enjoy."

Rebecca nodded in understanding.

"I see. Favorite X-man character?"

"Gambit."

"Really?" Rebecca said, surprised.

"He has style and confidence, things I don't really have," Star admitted. "Very charming and witty, plus he has a long coat and makes cards explode. Also, he's from Louisiana. What's not to like about him?"

The medic smiled.

"So _that's_ the reason why you like that coat so much! You wanted to imagine yourself as Gambit, didn't you?" she teased.

Star laughed.

"No, not at all! That had never really crossed my mind," he replied. "How about you?"

"Beast. He looks like a teddy bear. Him, along with Rogue. She's kick-ass."

The albino nodded. "Indeed."

"By the way," Rebecca spoke up, "that was a really cool trick. Changing your voice like that."

The albino shrugged. "Mother always hated when I did that."

"Why?" she asked, curious.

He grinned impishly. "...Well,... I _may_ have repeated a line or two when a character spoke during a movie or imitate the sound of something malfunctioning." Star began to chuckle. "Drove Mother crazy sometimes."

"You little shit!" Rebecca smiled, causing him to laugh heartily. "And here I thought you were a nice guy!"

"Hey, I am!" he pouted. "...It's just that when a really, _really_ bad movie is on, I like to...well...entertain myself sometimes. You know how some movies are just so awful that you want to turn away? Sometimes I might add in an extra little dialogue here or there to make things interesting."

"...That...actually sounds kind of...fun." she admitted.

He looked at her. "Perhaps-perhaps when we get out of here we could try it sometime?"

Rebecca's smile grew. "Sure! But you have to teach me how to do that thing with your voice."

Star smiled back. "Deal." He then pointed to her, saying in Humphrey Bogart's voice, "Here's to looking at you, kid."

The medic chuckled, watching as the albino searched around his pockets, pulling out a deck of cards.

"Want to play some cards?" he asked.

She nodded. "Sure. How about a game of Go Fish?"

Star shrugged.

"As you wish." he replied

Stepping away from her chair, Rebecca sat down on the floor in front of Star as he dealt out the cards.

* * *

Jill glanced around nervously as she entered the exhibition room.

_'Back here again,'_ she thought.

Navigating past the statue of the woman drawing water towards the rear door, the Alpha paused momentarily as she recalled that nightmarish experience in the mirror room, and as she did so, there came the urge to check back at the storage space behind the red curtain. Moving toward it, the B&E Specialist felt herself hesitate.

"You're not going to find anything back there," she told herself.

And yet...some part of her felt compelled to look, but she was afraid.

Yes, Jill Valentine, the fearless member of S.T.A.R.S., was actually afraid to find out what lay in wait. Part of her wanted to admonish herself for feeling this way, but ever since that event in the mirror room, Jill found herself more on edge than usual. As memories of that..._thing_ flashed in her mind, she shuddered.

"It's just a dream, girl," she told herself nervously. "It's just a dream."

Moving to the door, Jill pulled it open, blinking. "Whoa!"

Standing in the middle of the L-shaped corridor was a winged dog, but she had caught it at a very inconvenient moment; its back hunched and curled, its paws pressed together while the wings were draped down with its tail in the air, it had been in the middle of taking a shit just as she entered. Seeing the animal awkwardly hunched over, Jill couldn't help but laugh - combined with the concentrated expression on its face and the fact that it looked like it was going to fall over, the creature kind of looked adorable in a dopey sort of way. As it tried to do its business, the animal glared at her, letting out a soft growl.

Jill smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

She cautiously crept past, the animal baring its fangs.

"Easy, boy," she said gently, moving slow. "Don't mind me, just passing through."

The animal continued with what it was doing as she moved toward the end, keeping her eyes on it. Looking around the corner to make sure there wasn't another, Jill glanced back.

"Well, uh...gotta go!"

The Alpha bolted away to the door at the other end. Slamming the door behind her, Jill let out a sigh of relief.

"Fucking winged dogs," she muttered aloud.

* * *

Chris sighed as he glanced around the attic.

"See anything?" he called.

"Not yet," Joseph called back as he checked a corner.

Redfield checked the other corner, then paused. "I found something!"

Bending down to the floor, he picked up the item, brushing off spider webs and dust.

"What the hell?" Chris muttered.

The object appeared to be some sort of...grey...death mask. Made from plaster, the mash had a pair of red rubies embedded into the right side of its forehead and had a nose missing. Turning around, he waved Joseph over.

"Hey Joseph, get a load of this thing." he called.

The Omni Man approached, looking at the mask.

"That. Is. Creepy." Joseph muttered.

"No kidding," Chris replied.

Taking the mask from the Point Man, he held it up for inspection.

"Oh. Aren't you awful-looking." Joseph said. Raising up his other hand, he slipped his thumb between his index and middle finger. "Got your nose!"

Chris rolled his eyes as Frost looked back to him.

"We're not taking that fucking thing with us, right?"

"I'm afraid we have to." Chris answered.

"Why?"

Chris opened his mouth, then frowned.

"...I don't know." He admitted. "Let's just take it with us in case we need it." He looked around for a moment. "Were you able to find anything else?"

"Well, I found a box of shotgun shells," Joseph replied, "plus I found this." Reaching into his pocket, the Omni Man pulled out an item, handing it to Chris. Lifting it up for study, Chris regarded the object curiously. A gold hexagonal piece that had a crescent moon with a face carved into its side.

"The hell is this thing?" he asked.

Joseph shrugged. "You got me."

Looking to the sides, Chris gave one final quizzical glance around the attic, then pocketed the item.

"Well, if that's about it, then there's no reason to stick around here."

* * *

Star studied the cards in his hand.

"Do you have a king of hearts?" he asked.

Rebecca shook her head.

"Go fish."

Taking another card, the teenagers paused in their game as music started to play. Lifting up his head, Star listened as he heard the lyrics.

_"Risin' up, back on the street_  
_Did my time, took my chances_  
_Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet_  
_Just a man and his will to survive._

_So many times, it happens too fast_  
_You trade your passion for glory._  
_Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past_  
_You must fight just to keep them alive.'_

_It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight_  
_Risin' up to the challenge of our rival_  
_And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night_  
_And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger."_

The albino looked back to Rebecca questioningly as she took out her radio.

"Chris, are you there? Over." she called.

"Chris here. Over. Everything okay, Rebecca?"

"Yeah, I was just calling to ask if you were at the bar. Star and I can hear music playing."

"Ah that's a negative. We're all at the east wing. Over."

"Oh. Sorry."

"No worries. Keep in touch, Rebecca. Over and out."

Once she tried the other channels, Rebecca looked back to Star, putting down her radio with a shrug.

"Maybe the juke box is broken." the medic suggested.

"Perhaps I should go check it out," Star said, "just in case."

"No, no," she waved. "I'm pretty sure it's just a glitch or something. Besides, we should stick together. I'm not keen on making horror clichés a reality."

He shrugged. "Fair enough."

As the teenagers tried continuing the game, Star uneasily listened to the lyrics.

_"Face to face, out in the heat_  
_Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry_  
_They stack the odds 'till we take to the street_  
_For the kill with the skill to survive_

_It's the eye of the tiger, it's the dream of the fight_  
_Risin' up to the challenge of our rival_  
_And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night_  
_And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger."_

"I kind of wish that a better song was used," he commented.

"Not crazy about this song, I take it?"

"Not particularly. You?"

Rebecca shrugged. "Don't really care about it, to be honest."

The duo turned away, ignoring the song as it played.

* * *

Stepping out from the winding corridor, Jill winced at the pungent smell as she entered the dimly lit bathroom. It must have been nice at some point, but in its current state, it was awful, a corpse of a bathroom. The once white tiled walls were now stained orange and filthy, encrusted with grime and what appeared to be mold, the floor and carpet brown. The sink beside the door was equally repulsive to look at, the mirror cracked while the fan overhead no longer moved. A small wall at the left hand side of the sink hid a tiny toilet while facing the door and sink itself was a small claw foot bathtub, the shower curtains drawn. Approaching it, Jill raised her weapon as she reached for the curtains. As she whisked them away, the Alpha aimed, checking for targets.

Nothing.

Looking down into the tub, she let out a disgusted groan. The tub had been filled with muddy-looking water, just as awful to look at just as it was to smell.

Reaching out tentatively, Jill was just about to drain the water when she caught herself.

_'What am I doing?'_ she thought to herself. She wasn't the maid - there was no reason to stick her hand down there.

Staring down into the filthy water, Jill shook her head.

_Fuck that!_

Turning around, Jill stepped away from the tub and made her way toward the door when she heard water splashing behind her followed by loud moaning. Whipping around with a start, she watched as a badly-decomposed body rose up from the tub, turning in her direction. Raising her pistol, Jill fired, the round catching it in the eye, causing it to slip backward and crack its head on the edge of the tub. As the body lay motionless in the tub, blood flowed from the back of its head down onto the white porcelain. Shaking furiously, Jill stood still for a long time, then raised a hand to her mouth.

No no no no no!

Running to the toilet, Jill proceeded to spew her guts out, her eyes locked shut.

* * *

Aiken let out a groan as he opened his eyes.

"Richard?" he heard Rebecca call.

Sitting himself up, the communications expert rubbed his eyes.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"We're in the storage room." she answered.

"Again?!" Aiken exclaimed.

"We had to come back. When you pricked yourself-"

He waved. "I remember."

Pulling his hands away, he watched as Rebecca gave him a concerned look.

"How are you feeling?" she asked worriedly.

Aiken stretched out his limbs with a groan.

"A little groggy, but I think I'm okay," he yawned. "Thank you, Rebecca."

Rebecca smiled, giving a nod.

Shifting himself off the bed, Aiken straightened himself up, hearing his spine produce an audible crack.

"How long was I out for?" he queried.

"About half an hour," Rebecca answered.

"And the others?"

"They're checking the east wing."

Rolling his shoulders, he cracked his neck, producing a satisfying pop.

"AHH, much better!" Looking back to the teenagers, Aiken nodded to them. "Well, we should get going. The faster we find the others, the sooner we can get the hell out of here."

Star nodded. "Amen to that."

Once they gathered up their stuff, the survivors headed outside.

* * *

Stepping back into the hall, Star watched as Rebecca lifted her head.

"You guys hear that?" she asked.

Star tilted his head to the side, listening intently.

_"I hear your name whispered on the wind_  
_It's a sound that makes me cry_  
_I hear a song blow again and again_  
_Through my mind and I don't know why_  
_I wish I didn't feel so strong about you_  
_Like happiness and love revolve around you."_

"What song is that?" Star wondered.

"Boy Meets Girl, Waiting for a Star to Fall," Aiken answered. "My girlfriend Bridgette loves this song."

_"Trying to catch your heart_  
_Is like trying to catch a star_  
_So many people love you baby_  
_That must be what you are._

_Waiting for a star to fall_  
_And carry your heart into my arms_  
_That's where you belong_  
_In my arms baby, yeah."_

The albino looked over to Rebecca, watching the girl as she bounced her head to the melody.

_"I've learned to feel what I cannot see_  
_But with you I lose that vision_  
_I don't know how to dream your dream_  
_So I'm all caught up in superstition_  
_I want to reach out and pull you to me_  
_Who says I should let a wild one go free_

_Trying to catch your heart_  
_Is like trying to catch a star_  
_But I can't love you this much baby_  
_And love you from this far_

_Waiting for a star to fall_  
_And carry your heart into my arms_  
_That's where you belong_  
_In my arms baby, yeah."_

_'If only she knew how I felt...'_ Star thought longingly. If only he could muster up the courage to tell her.

Sensing that she was being stared at, the Bravo medic glanced over to him.

"What?" she said.

He raised his hands. "Ah, my apologies. I was just surprised that you liked it."

She shrugged. "If it has a good rhythm and melody, I'm all for it."

_"Waiting (however long...)_  
_I don't like waiting (I'll wait for you...)_  
_It's so hard waiting (don't be too long...)_  
_Seems like waiting (makes me love you even more...)_

_Waiting for a star to fall_  
_And carry your heart into my arms_  
_That's where you belong_  
_In my arms baby, yeah."_

Looking over to Aiken, Star saw the sadness in his eyes, the Bravo's chin lowered as he stared off into space. It was a look of regret, of longing. Even worse, Star realized, it was the look of a man that _knew_ he was going to die.

"...Are you okay, Officer?" he asked.

The Bravo said nothing at first, perhaps reluctant to make his doubts known, perhaps distrustful of him. Eventually, Aiken heaved a great sigh. "...Yeah. Let's regroup with the others."

Star wanted to inquire further, to see what it was that troubled him, but then decided against it.

_'Perhaps Rebecca would be the better person for Officer Aiken to confide in,'_ the albino youth thought.

Given his interactions with Aiken, it was obvious that the Bravo preferred Rebecca's company to his, and the albino couldn't really blame him; not even Star himself could tolerate his own presence.

Stepping down the F-shaped corridor, Star glanced around at the various doors and passages that they never explored.

"Shouldn't we check these out first?" he asked.

"Nah, we'll do it later." Aiken asserted. "The more numbers we have, the better our chances."

As the song ended, the survivors continued their trek through the shadows.

* * *

"'Today Sir Spencer told me to hide something where no one could find it. Well, I had this idea. I figured if I could somehow have it protected by a dangerous animal like the vicious canine that lives here, no one would be able to get near it! As far as I can tell, the mutt is always hanging around the second floor balcony of the west terrace, and he ought to come running at the sound of a dog whistle. This is where you come in. The thing is, I reckon you're the only person that can get near that damn dog without risking a serious mauling. Which means only you can put this collar on him. The object that Sir Spencer wants hidden is concealed inside. You're the only person I can trust with this. Of course, you'll get something out of it as well. Remember that certain item you've always wanted to get hold of? Well, in exchange for your services, I just might be able to get it for you. This could work out well for both of us... Jon Toleman.'"

Once Chris finished the note, he put it into his pocket, letting out an annoyed grunt.

"Great, so we have to go back and find a dog, now," the Alpha Point Man said in annoyance.

Joseph picked up a dog whistle from a nearby table that had a chessboard on it, looking it over curiously before blowing it into his mouth.

* * *

Rebecca jumped as Star let out a strangled scream.

"Star?" she said worriedly.

Dropping his suitcases, the albino doubled over and fell to his knees as he grabbed the sides of his head, wincing and crying in pain.

"What's going on?" Aiken asked.

"I don't know!" Rebecca replied as she moved to the albino's side. "Star what's wrong?!"

The albino clutched his ears.

"MY EARS!" he shouted. "MAKE IT STOP! GOD, MAKE IT STOP!"

_'What in the world?'_ Rebecca thought. "Star, try massaging your inner ears!"

Star complied, his face contorted in agony. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes.

"Thank god." he sighed.

"Are you okay?" Rebecca asked as she helped him up to his feet. "What happened?"

Star shook his head as he got back up.

"I-I don't know!" he replied. "I just heard this whistling in my ears, and it felt excruciating! God, didn't either of you hear that?!"

Rebecca shook her head. "I didn't hear anything." She looked at Richard. "Did you?"

"Nope." Aiken answered.

Star looked quizzically at them both. "But..." he sighed. "...Never mind. My apologies."

Picking up his suitcases, the albino hurried away. Looking to Richard, the two Bravos exchanged confused looks, then followed after him.

* * *

Jill pulled the door open, peering inside. Before her was a small grey ornate room with a black-tiled floor, the tiles marked with a black umbrella symbol. On the walls were elaborate murals on all four sides, the murals themselves depicting trees, horses and people in sixteenth century clothing.

Or was it seventeenth?

Jill frowned. Who cares? She wasn't a historian.

It looked nice, that was all she could say about it. Stepping inside, the Alpha looked around curiously. It was a very small room, about six or seven by seven, with a very high ceiling. Staring up, Jill scratched her head, puzzled.

What was the purpose of this room?

Seeing the door to her left, Jill stepped into the next room, studying its contents. A dreary grey room with a coat hanger in the corner beside the door, it appeared to be a parlor, with a deer's head hanging from the right wall over a painting in a gold frame. Looking down to the latter, she scrutinized it carefully. The painting depicted what seemed to be a gathering of people preparing themselves for a fox hunt.

Jill scoffed. Given the survivors' situation, she couldn't help noting the irony.

Beneath the painting was an burnt out fireplace that had two candelabras, a clock and two bronze horse statues sitting over the mantle. Stepping toward it curiously, Jill could tell just from the smell that it had been put out recently. Something had been burned up, but she couldn't tell what it was, all that remained were ashes. A small cabinet sat to the left of the fireplace and featured an assortment of photos, fancy dishware and other collectibles. Turning around, sitting directly in front of the fireplace in the middle of the living room was a comfortable-looking black leather couch with a brown wooden coffee table. Various picture frames hung from the walls, but one frame in particular caught Jill's interest; hanging from a pair of hooks past the couch at the other end of the room was a wall-mounted shotgun, a Remington M870.

Seeing the weapon, Jill smiled. "Now we're talking."

Stepping toward it, she took the shotgun off from the hooks, studying it carefully. Hearing a click, Jill glanced up to see the hooks raise themselves upward.

"Huh?" That's odd.

Was she supposed to put something there? Reaching to her belt, Jill brought up the broken shotgun, then looked back to the hooks.

Suppose...nah! She needed every weapon she can get.

_'Who are you kidding?'_ Part of Jill thought. _'Don't you see the condition it's in, girl? There's no way you can use it without killing yourself.'_

The Alpha considered her options.

"Fuck it," she said.

Placing the broken shotgun onto the hooks, she watched as the hooks sank back into position. Giving a satisfied nod, Jill smiled as she holstered the shotgun.

"Right! Looks like that's about it."

Turning around, Jill made her way back to the entrance. As she opened the door, she froze, her eyes widening in alarm.

_He_ was standing right in front of her.

The statue that wasn't a statue. The demon. The Magician.

Jill shook as she stared, her mouth gaping open. Ducking low through the doorway, its metallic horns scraping the arch, the creature stepped through, its eyes focused on Jill as she backed slowly away.

Jill immediately forgot about the shotgun along with her pistol. All of her S.T.A.R.S. training ceased functioning as she eyed the creature, her mouth feeling dry as she struggled to breathe. Jill suddenly felt like a little girl all over again. Opening her mouth, what came out was a pithy, strangled squawk. Jill could feel her own throat constricting as it stepped closer and closer. She kept backing away, her eyes focused on the creature, her brain demanding her to take action, to fight, to run, to scream, to do something!

And then it happened - stumbling, Jill shrieked as she collapsed onto the coffee table behind her, the wood crunching beneath her weight as she struggled back to her feet. As the creature continued toward her, the B&E specialist screamed even louder and scrambled frantically over the couch, her mind a whirlwind of panic.

The Magician didn't react to her outburst; it merely pursued after her, stepping slowly toward her one monstrous foot at a time, swaying its disproportionately elongated limbs from side to side like some sort of ape. Jill could swear that it was being deliberate - she could see laughter lines in its cold dead pale eyes, even if its face was calm and empty. Navigating her way around the couch, the Alpha bolted for the door, slamming it shut behind her as she stumbled toward the other, desperate to put as much distance between herself and that thing, tears running down her face. Grabbing hold of the handle, she tried wrenching it open, only to find it locked.

"Come on, come on!" she whimpered.

Dust fell from the walls to the floor as something rumbled overhead. Looking up, Jill's eyes widened as she saw the ceiling coming down.

"Oh god! What did I do now?" the Alpha muttered before shouting at the door. "WESKER! BARRY! HELP!"

"JILL! YOU IN THERE!" Barry called from the other side.

"BARRY?! GET ME OUT OF HERE! THE DOOR'S JAMMED!" Jill cried as she ducked low to the floor.

"Stand back!" There came a loud boom. The next thing Jill knew, the door whipped open.

"Grab my hand!" Barry said as he reached for her. Taking hold, Jill felt herself dragged along the floor, the two S.T.A.R.S. members stumbling over as the ceiling slammed down, causing the floor to shake.

"Barry! Thank god!" Jill said in relief.

"That was a close one!" Barry said as he sat right up and dusted himself off. "If I had been a second late, you would have become a Jill sandwich!"

Jill smiled. "You always do have a way with words, Barry," she said as she took his hand and got to her feet. "God, you are a sight for sore eyes!"

Wiping her eyes, the B&E specialist looked fearfully back to the door.

_'There's no way it could have gotten out of there,'_ she tried to tell herself mentally. It's trapped in there.

Turning back to face Barry, she opened her mouth to say something, only to cut herself off as she caught sight of the looming presence behind the Weapons Supplier.

"BARRY BEHIND YOU!" she shrieked.

Jill watched as the great bear of a man whipped around with his Colt Anaconda drawn and pointed it directly at the Magician, waiting for him to fire.

She braced herself for the shot.

It never came.

_What the hell?_

Barry looked around in confusion.

"I don't see anything!"

The Magician's eyes wickedly shined in dark amusement as Jill eyed it with loathing.

"It's right in front of you!" Jill pointed.

"What are you talking about?!" Barry asked.

"The Magician! He's standing right in front of you!"

Turning around to face her, Barry gave her a doubtful and concerned look.

"Jill...are you okay?"

"He's right there, Barry!" Jill said angrily. "He's RIGHT! FUCKING! THERE!"

"There's nothing there, Jill. It's just us." he assured.

The Magician tilted its head at an angle, its impassive face marked with the mocking laughter lines in its eyes. Taking out the pistol from her holster, Jill aimed at the monstrous fiend.

"Whoa!" Barry raised up his hands. "Jill...what are you doing?"

"It's behind you, Barry!"

"Jill, let's talk. Put the gun down."

The B&E specialist felt her hands trembling as the Magician stepped closer to Barry. Its face was now a black featureless veil of shadow, its eyes a pair of malevolently glowing pearls that stared directly at Jill, moving so close that it was practically peering over the big man's shoulder.

"Jill-"

Pulling the trigger, she watched as Barry recoiled, the bullets phasing through the Magician's countenance.

"JESUS CHRIST!"

Jill felt the wind knocked out of her as Barry tackled her into the door, a shot taking out a light overhead, throwing the room into partial darkness.

"Barry let me go!" she said through grit teeth.

"That's enough, Jill!" Barry barked.

"You don't understand, the Magician is going to kill us!"

"Jill stop this-"

One swipe was all it took.

One swipe from the creature's clawed hand, and then Barry's head was gone, leaving only a stump that was gushing a fountain of blood onto Jill as she screamed. Dropping Barry's body, the Alpha looked to her arms and hands in horror as her whole body was stained in gore, her screams never ceasing for a moment. Twisting around, Jill stumbled drunkenly away in tears, adrenalin coursing through her body as she sought to escape her malignant pursuer. Running through one corridor, then another, and another, she kept running, her legs and feet aching and protesting, the confident woman now reduced to a whimpering and crying child.

As she turned the next corner to the left, she screamed again as the Magician greeted her. Turning around, she barely had time to react as something grabbed hold of her and slammed her into a wall, pinning her against it. Jill struggled to breathe as the creature lifted her up into the air by the neck, its vice-like grip threatening to snap her head clean off at a moment's notice. No matter how hard she punched or kicked, the entity took no notice. It merely stared at her, tilting its head curiously.

Turning her face to one side, then the other, the Magician casually looked her over. Once it finished, it forced her to face him, then leaned its horned head forward, leaning closer and closer until she could feel it pressing its forehead against hers, the cold steel of its horns pressing against her sweat-slicked skin.

The coldness of metal was then replaced with a tingling warmth that became warmer and warmer until it became so scalding hot that Jill let out an agonized scream.

The Magician pushed its forehead further into hers, its strange flesh seeping into her own, the heat completely intolerable. Visions flashed before her eyes of her childhood and her father, followed by her being interviewed by Captain Wesker and meeting Chris for the first time.

Other visions started to appear - a ruined landscape crawling with undead. Blood-soaked streets and buildings. A huge singular building that loomed over a circular courtyard at the front like a massive black tombstone on a small fortified island. A massive amphitheater in what seemed to be a cave somewhere with various overhanging catwalks, strange lantern-like containers and a great ring surrounding something in its center, something enormous, with either sails or flapping wings, each flap producing an icy, hazy gust of wind that obscured the rest of it.

As images flashed through her mind, faster than she had time to blink, Jill felt her eyes roll into the back of her head, her mind overwhelmed, her head feeling as if it were ready to implode. Images blurred together, and then finally, it ceased. Soon after, the Alpha lost consciousness, her vision fading to black.

* * *

"Jill? Jill!"

Opening her eyes, Jill dazedly rubbed her head. She was leaning against the wall in a semi-seated position. Looking up, she saw Barry crouched over her.

"BARRY!" She yelled, catching the big man off-guard as she grabbed hold and held him in a tight hug. "Thank god! Thank god you're alright!"

Barry shifted, then hesitantly and awkwardly hugged her back.

"Eh...okay?" he said questioningly.

Pulling away, Jill looked around in confusion.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You just passed out." Barry said. "You don't remember?"

She shook her head.

"No," Jill swallowed.

Pushing herself off the floor, she stumbled for a moment.

"Easy." Barry said as he grabbed hold of her.

"I'm fine." Jill said, shrugging him off.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she assured. Raising her head, Jill glanced around. "Where is he?"

"Where's who?"

"Him! The Magician!"

Barry stared at her. "What are you talking about?"

"He was..." she trailed off. Had everything been a dream?

_'Of course it was,'_ the rational part of her assured. Barry was still alive, as she could plainly see.

Jill cleared her throat as she straightened herself. "...Never mind."

"You okay, Jill?" Barry asked. "You look pretty shook up."

Taking in a deep breath, Jill let out a shaky sigh. "Y-Yeah." God, that was horrible! She had never felt so frightened in her life, nor had she ever screamed as much as she had! Turning to face him, she gave him a curious look. "Where have you been? We've been looking for you."

Barry shrugged. "I just had something I wanted to check. Anyway, we should get back to searching for Wesker and the others."

As Barry started to depart, Jill smiled. "Thanks, Barry. I owe you one."

"Don't mention it," he replied stiffly, his back facing her.

Jill watched as the big man wandered away, puzzled by his reaction. Looking back to the door, she shuddered, then quickly walked down the next corridor.

* * *

Barry didn't like it one bit. Something had been up with Jill - Jill was a tough woman, and yet when he found her, she was on the brink of tears. Jill...crying!

It seemed impossible to believe...and yet...he saw that something had deeply affected her.

"Something wrong?"

Barry scowled at the voice behind him.

"What is it, Wesker?" he said impatiently, turning to face him.

"What's the matter?" Wesker asked.

"Jill was nearly killed." Barry said pointedly.

"Is she alright?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Just shook up."

The sunglasses remained focused on him.

"Hm." Wesker then turned away.

As the Alpha Captain departed, an idea started to form in Barry's head, causing him to grin.

"By the way, Captain," he spoke, causing Wesker to pause mid-step, "congratulations!"

Wesker stood with his back facing Barry.

"On what?" he queried.

Barry's grin grew. "You're a father."

"What?"

Barry took a step forward. "You heard me. You're a daddy, just like me."

The Alpha Captain remained still for a moment, then shook his head.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Wesker replied, brushing something off from his vest.

"Well I know for a fact that your child is here with us at this mansion as we speak." Barry said, feeling emboldened. "With the team."

Wesker turned around to face him.

"Even if I _am_ a father...what of it?" A small smile started to form on the Captain's sculpted lips, causing Barry to wince. "Are you trying to relate to me, Barry?"

Barry stared at the black-clad figure, trying to stand his ground.

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "I'm a little concerned about your kid's safety. It's pretty dangerous here, and if your kid's not careful, they could end up getting _hurt_." His fingers clutched around the handle and trigger of Colt Anaconda for emphasis as he eyed the man in black.

Wesker's smile grew.

"Barry, Barry, Barry," He said, shaking his head amusedly as he approached, patting Barry on the shoulder as he uttered a low dry chuckle. "A word of advice, old friend - stick to what you know. Planning and negotiations aren't your strong suits." Dropping the smile, he leaned in, then spoke in a low voice. "Do you honestly think you can just threaten me?"

Barry's grip tightened on his weapon.

"I'm warning you, Wesker - back off." the Weapons Supplier warned. "So help me God I'll find and kill your kid!"

"Then you better do it." Came the reply.

"I swear to God, Wesker, I'll do it!" he growled.

Despite the threat, Wesker remained perfectly composed. "What makes you think I would care?"

Barry stared at Wesker incredulously.

"Your first mistake, Barry," the man in black began, the air thick and heavy as he gave a dark look, "is believing me to be a sentimentalist. If I _were_ a sentimental man...if I _had_ actually cared what happened to my offspring...then the _last_ thing you should be doing is threatening them. If I actually _had_ felt something for them...I would have tortured you slowly, then tear you limb from limb with my bare hands."

Barry felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. How could he be so cool, especially when talking about murder and torture?

"So you _do_ care," Barry said, trying to hide his fear.

Wesker smiled. "I don't. Like I said, that was _if_ I were a sentimental man. Fortunately for you, Barry, I'm not. I would rather shoot my own child myself than let anyone have the satisfaction of doing so."

The Weapons Supplier felt his insides turn cold. How could anyone be so...cruel?

"But...your own child?" Barry said.

Wesker pushed his sunglasses up, Barry's startled reflection looking back at him.

"Why not?" he replied. "Considering I brought it into the world in the first place, it would only be appropriate for me to be the one to take it out."

Burton stared in horror at the man in black. This guy was on a whole other level!

The Alpha Captain tilted his head to the side, his concealed eyes appraising the Weapons Supplier.

"You seem distracted, old friend." A smirk crept up one corner of Wesker's mouth. "Perhaps I should pay a visit to my child now after all and get it over with."

Wesker was just about to turn away when Barry reached up in alarm.

"No!" Barry pleaded as he put his hand on Wesker's shoulder. "Please, wait!"

No sooner had his hand touched the fabric of his shirt when the Alpha suddenly found himself spun around with his arm locked tightly behind his back, Wesker's vice-like grip threatening to break it with a simple twist as he was forced down onto his knees.

"Your second mistake, Barry," the velvety voice said lowly into his ear, his tone cool, although there was a slight hint of a simmering ferocity that threatened to bubble up, "is challenging my authority. Don't. Ever. Do it. Again. Am I clear?"

For emphasis, he wrenched Barry's arm more, causing the big man to let out a strangled cry.

"Yes," he winced, his arm screaming in protest. "Yes!"

"Good." With that, Wesker released his arm. "Now get up, we have work to do."


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Chariot

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Thirteen: Chariot**

Curien glared at the screen, resisting the urge to put his fist through it.

"That little shit needs to be put into his place and shut down, fast!" he growled.

"We're doing everything we can, sir, but he is difficult to pin down." his subordinate said beside him, his hood concealing his features.

Curien swept his hand through his hair in exasperation.

"How the hell has he managed to get out?! How was he able to override his subroutines?! He should be locked in his pod!"

The subordinate at the monitor shook his hooded head in uncertainty as he studied the readings.

"We're still uncertain how, sir. The good news, however, is that he hasn't overridden _all_ of them," he replied.

His master looked at him intently. "Are you sure?"

"Positive, sir. The key ones are still in place. Locking onto his signal is difficult, so shutting him down remotely will be next to impossible since he keeps moving around all the time."

Curien raised his eyes, tilting his head thoughtfully as stroked his neatly trimmed goatee in thought. Even though the situation was less than ideal...it was at least salvageable. Sliding his fingers through his coarse black mane of hair, he cleared his throat and pushed up his sunglasses. "Have the strays been dealt with?"

"Almost, sir. We're closing in on the last of the Kenfis dogs, but Tower is still on the loose, plus we have a Cain model wandering around in the greenhouse section of the west wing."

"We can worry about those two later," Curien said. "Focus all efforts to finding _him_. Capture, or kill."

* * *

Rebecca sighed as she stepped back into the main hall with Richard and Star.

"Well...here we are again," she said with a shrug.

"Yup," Richard nodded.

Hearing a door open from the landing up top, the trio raised their eyes to see Chris and Joseph moving down the stairs, then climbed back down to greet them.

"Hey guys," Chris nodded.

"Hey Chris," Rebecca nodded back.

She watched as Chris looked over to Richard.

"How are you feeling?"

Richard gave a slight shrug.

"I'm alright. I feel much better now." the Communications specialist replied.

"Are you sure?" Chris asked in concern.

"Yeah. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay."

Chris gave him a doubtful glance, then looked to Rebecca, who nodded in agreement. "Alright," he relented. "If you say so. Don't overexert yourself, okay?"

Rebecca watched as Aiken smiled, giving an assured nod.

"Find anything useful?" she asked.

"We found a dog whistle," Joseph spoke up, pulling it out from his pocket. Raising it up, he then blew hard into it. As he did so, Star winced as he let out a strangled cry, startling everyone as he clenched his bags. "What the fuck?!"

"That-that sound!" Star groaned as he put down his bags and massaged his ears.

"You heard that?!" Rebecca said in surprise.

"I did." the albino nodded in affirmation. "That was the sound I heard earlier."

"...So, what, you're part dog or something?" Joseph asked.

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. It's not unheard of for some people to have hypersensitive hearing."

Aiken looked at her doubtfully. "Even dog whistles?"

"A dog whistle's frequency is within the range of 23 to 54 kilohertz," the medic explained. "While it's generally unlikely for anyone to be affected, it's still possible for _some_ people to hear a higher frequency than others."

Chris shrugged. "Fair enough."

"Out of curiosity," Star spoke up, "...why are you carrying that around for? With these winged dog things wandering about, shouldn't we try to avoid attracting them?"

"Too fucking right, kid," the older man nodded, "but, with that said, we need it. Apparently someone hid something in a dog collar, and now we're trying to find out what it is."

The albino opened his mouth, then paused, blinking bemusedly before looking up at him with a raised brow. The Alphas shrugged.

"Don't look at me," Chris said. "I only found the note mentioning it."

Rebecca sighed. "So, back to the west wing we go, then?"

"Looks that way." the Alpha Point Man replied, then waved them up the stairs. "Come on."

As the trio moved to the foot of the stairs, Rebecca watched as Richard raised up a hand.

"Do you guys hear that?" he whispered.

Rebecca quietly listened along with the others. There was a long, loud scraping sound followed by heavy breathing, thumping and loud moaning that reminded her of a whale's lamentation, and it sounded like it was coming from the dining room, moving toward them.

"Everyone hide," Chris said in a hushed voice.

As the survivors scattered, hiding behind various columns, Rebecca waited with anticipation as the thunderous stomps came closer, the wailing growing louder.

Swallowing nervously, the medic watched from the corner as the handle started to turn, the door drawing open.

"What...the..." she whispered in awe.

A ten foot, heavily muscled titan resembling a medieval knight emerged into the entrance hall, its heavy armored feet producing loud clanking thuds with each step, causing some of the furniture to shudder and Ming vases to fall off tables and crash onto the floor. A bizarre mishmash of Medieval armor and cybernetic augmentation, the creature was greyish green in color and heavily armored, its head concealed in a dome-like helmet with a red lensed gas mask covering its face, its mechanical limbs wrapped in belts and buckles. In one of its massive mechanical hands was a long poleaxe, a bardiche, which it dragged restlessly behind it, producing a scraping noise along the floor.

Stepping out into the hall, the creature wailed loudly, wheezing through its gas mask as it glanced around from side to side in indecision. When it turned in Rebecca's direction, the medic ducked behind the column, her heart thumping in her chest as she pressed herself against it. Waiting a minute or two, she quietly poked her head out and watched as the juggernaut started to head over to the exhibition room, pulling open the double doors before stepping inside, the axe dragging behind it. Once the doors closed, Rebecca waited until the steps receded. When she felt certain that it was gone, the medic then shakily released her breath.

"All clear," Richard called quietly.

Stepping back out from behind the columns, the survivors gathered together, staring to where the creature had disappeared.

"Jesus," Joseph muttered.

"What on earth was that?!" Star asked.

"I have no idea," Chris replied with a shake of his head.

His radio clicked noisily, causing everyone to stare back at him in alarm.

"Oh shit." Chris muttered as he tried turning it off.

From the exhibition room came an enraged roar.

"Hide!"

The survivors scattered as the thunderous steps quickly headed back to the entrance. Ducking behind a column, Rebecca flinched as she heard a loud crash followed by heavy wheezing, the creature's breathing distorted by the gas mask. The medic held her breath as the armored being stomped around, searching. It searched one corner, then another. At one point, it seemed to be heading in her direction, which made her feel sick to her stomach. It was so close now that Rebecca was convinced that if she were to turn the corner that she would be face to face with it. Hairs stood up on her arms as the breathing wheezed closer. Just as it was about to peer from around the side of the column, there came a moan behind it, drawing the creature's attention away from her. As the footsteps receded, Rebecca mustered up the courage to take look as she peeked from her hiding spot.

"You've got to be kidding me," she whispered aloud.

The zombie that Chris had killed earlier was rising up to its feet again. Rebecca watched as the armored giant stomped toward it, tilting its head curiously as it approached.

_'What's it doing?'_ Rebecca wondered.

It was then that she noticed something odd; the zombie was..._steaming up_.

What the hell?

As the armored being came closer, the zombie..._changed_; its skin, originally a pasty white, was now turning a bloody reddish hue. Plumes of steam were rising from its body as well as its nostrils and mouth, making it look like some sort of demon from hell.

_'What's happening?'_ Rebecca thought worriedly.

Claws tore free from its finger tips, its body thickening as its clothes started to audibly tear, its posture straightening as the cadaver arched its back. Stretching open its mouth, the zombie let out a hellishly loud, hoarse roar that made the medic tighten up and shake. God, that sound - it was like hell given voice!

Turning to face the giant, the bloody-colored zombie snarled as it swung its claws wildly at the armored chest. Its opponent, however, didn't react; it merely stood there looking down, watching patiently as the zombie flailed impotently about, trying to tear into its adversary. As it continued on, eventually, the creature seemed to lose all patience and interest as it casually grabbed hold of the zombie by the head with one hand and slammed it down to the floor, causing the tiles to crack. As it drew itself back, Rebecca watched as the red zombie weakly tried to lift itself back up. Staring down at his fallen foe, the armored being lifted up its mighty foot, which was as long and as wide as the zombie's entire torso, then piteously crushed the cadaver underneath its armored heel with a horrible crunch and squelch. Raising up its head, the titan looked around once more, its wheezing distorted breath heaving loudly as it rolled its shoulders. Once it was finished, the creature resumed back through the exhibition room, disappearing through the door at the end.

Stepping back out, the survivors stared to the room ahead.

"Um...that's going to be a problem," Richard spoke up nervously.

"No shit," Joseph muttered quietly.

Picking up the radio, Chris pressed the call button. "Jill, are you there? Over."

"Jill here. Over." She answered.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just narrowly avoided getting squished by some trap thanks to Barry. Over."

"You're not hurt, are you?" Chris asked worriedly.

"Negative. Shaken, not stirred. Over."

Rebecca watched as Redfield sighed in relief.

"Thank god. Listen, there's a big thing walking around the halls carrying an axe. It's heavily armored, and I think it's heading in your direction. Do not engage with it. I repeat, do _not_ engage with it. Over."

"Copy that. Thanks for the heads up, Chris."

"Don't mention it. Joseph and I are going to the west terrace to find a dog collar."

"...A dog collar?" Jill repeated.

Chris shrugged. "Don't ask. Do you need any backup?"

"Negative. I think I'll be alright. Over."

"Are you sure?"

Jill sighed. "Yes, Chris."

The Alpha Point Man sighed. "Alright. If you need help-"

"I'll let you guys know."

Redfield nodded. "Okay. Stay safe, Jill."

"You too, Chris. Over and out."

As Chris placed his radio away, Rebecca watched as Joseph gave a sly grin.

"Awww, how cute!" the latter beamed.

"Knock it off, Joseph," Chris replied.

Rebecca stepped toward the remains of the zombie, wincing in disgust at the crushed bones and organs.

"I've never seen any of the other zombies do that before," Star commented as he approached.

"Nor have I." Rebecca replied as she glanced down.

As the other survivors gathered around, Chris spoke up.

"What do you make of this, Rebecca?"

The medic frowned. "The musculature on the legs seem to have increased in mass based on the tearing on the fabric."

"It's also taller," Star noted.

She looked up at him in surprise. "Is it?"

The albino nodded. "Earlier I estimated it to be five-nine, but after its..." he paused, trying to find the right word, "...mutation, it grew an extra six inches."

"How can you know that?" Richard asked.

Star looked at him. "I'm pretty observant when it comes to details."

Rebecca folded her arms together, her chin resting on her thumb and index finger. "...If that's true, then it means that the hypothalamus must have been working overtime."

Chris blinked. "The hypo-what?"

"Hypothalamus," Rebecca repeated. "It's a small part of the brain that's located at the base of the skull near the pituitary gland that's responsible for maintaining homeostasis, - ah, that is, the ability to maintain stability in spite of changes. It's also responsible for releasing hormones and temperature control. Based on what we saw, the t-Virus must have caused a massive influx of hormones to be released into its system. The dopamine levels for it must be through the roof!"

"Meaning?" Joseph said expectantly.

"Big time schizo." Rebecca answered.

Richard frowned. "This keeps getting better and better."

"If this is true," Star said slowly, "...then...it means that letting just _one_ of these things live could be..."

Rebecca nodded.

Chris shook his head.

"Jesus. So, we either kill every one we come across...or let one of these be and risk having them eventually _become_ one of these damn things." He exhaled. "Great. Well that's just great!"

The medic shifted uncomfortably. "That said, however, it's not really clear to me when this stage would begin." she shook her head. "I don't know what the exact causes for this mutation are. It could be environmental, it could be duration...I don't know."

Richard looked up. "Do you think this could be an isolated incident?"

Rebecca squirmed.

"Honestly...I _hope_ it is. For all our sakes."

Chris sighed. "Goddamn it."

He raised his radio. "Jill, you there?"

"Copy, Chris. Everything okay?"

"Negative. Listen, uh, we...just found another complication with these damn zombies. The one you and Barry brought, it came back to life."

"What?!"

"Yeah. It also became bigger and meaner. It's dead now, thankfully, but none us know if this is just a one-off or not. If we even let one these creatures go-"

"...I see what you're getting at," Jill affirmed grimly. "Things just keep getting better and better around here."

Chris scoffed. "Tell me about it."

"Thanks for the heads up, Chris."

"Copy that. Over and out."

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire," Richard muttered as Chris lowered his radio.

"No kidding," Joseph replied.

"So...what are we going to do?" Star asked.

Chris frowned, pursing his lips as he gave it some thought.

"...We don't have enough ammo to deal with these things, so that's going to be a problem. So, we should probably check around for supplies, scavenge for whatever we could find." he replied.

"The Captain said we can dispose of the bodies by incinerating them as well," Rebecca pointed out.

"So, whatever zombie or creature that hasn't been beheaded yet after it's fallen, we light it up." Joseph said.

Star looked at them worriedly. "But what if it's a huge cluster of them? Wouldn't we risk lighting this whole place on fire?"

"Try not to jinx us, kid," Chris said. "One matter at a time. In the mean time, let's find that dog collar."

As the survivors started their way toward the stairs, Rebecca looked to Star as he stared to the floor, troubled.

"You okay, Star?" she asked.

The albino shook his head slowly. "I don't like this, Rebecca. Every time we progress, Umbrella continues to not only find ways to degrade its victims, but also new ways to make us into murderers."

The medic nodded sadly. "I know."

He then looked up at her. "...Do you...suppose...that's Umbrella's plan? To make us into murderers? To make _me_ one?"

Rebecca saw the uncertainty in his eyes.

"What are you thinking exactly?"

Star opened his mouth when Chris called, "Are you guys coming?"

"Yeah, sorry!" Looking back to the youth in red, Rebecca waited for an answer. "Well?"

He frowned. "...Nothing. My apologies."

Taking his cases, he followed after the others.

_'What has him so worried?'_ she wondered.

What had he been trying to say?

Giving one final glance around, the medic walked up the stairs behind Star, puzzled by his reaction.

* * *

From the top of a tree, Hanged Man leaned forward from his perch, his great wings shivering in the cold.

"Scan the area. Start with the building," his master commanded.

Glancing down at the mansion nearby, Hanged Man waited as its monochromatic green and white vision and heads-up display scanned each section with its lensed eyes, its CPU breaking down every section, determining dimensions, structural composition, chemical analysis, etc.

"Switch to thermal."

Obeying, the creature swapped vision. From the building, various orange and green signatures moved about on the various floors. Some were clearly human while others weren't. A few dogs were eating a cadaver in one of the rooms.

"Plenty of specimens to collect. Revert to normal and continue scanning."

Hanged Man started to turn away.

"Wait!" Came the command, causing it to pause. "Switch back to thermal and pan left."

The creature obeyed.

"Zoom in."

The lenses whirred.

"One more."

In another room, a man looked around, his pistol raised.

"Zoom in. Ten percent. Adjust the microphone."

Hanged Man's lenses whirred noisily as they adjusted themselves.

The man kneeled down over the body of a winged dog.

'My, my, my," the man purred in a mellifluous voice. "Aren't you an interesting one! I _definitely_ don't recall ever seeing _you_ around here during my time. Spencer has been busy, I see. And here I thought _nothing_ around here would surprise me!" He gave a dark chuckle, then cast his eyes around the creature's body. "You're a fine-looking specimen. Too bad I don't have the time or tools available for conducting an autopsy. A shame, really."

He then proceeded to take skin and blood samples, putting them into a bag. "With that said, however, I'll be interested to see what you look like under a microscope after this is all finished. Your genetic makeup should make for some illuminating reading."

Getting back up to his feet, the man slipped the bag into a pouch on his fanny pack, then stepped away from the body, resuming on.

"This is bad," Hanged Man's master spoke. "We need to get those samples and destroy them as quickly as possible."

Hanged Man raised itself up, preparing to get ready.

"Wait!" Came the command, startling the creature. "Scan the upper levels."

Hanged Man slowly craned its neck as it peered along the building.

"There! Second floor, east wing!"


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Oddities

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Fourteen: Oddities**

Barry raised his trusty Colt Anaconda as he lined himself against a wall, peering from around a corner. Splotches of moonlight seeped through nearby windows, spilling out its rays onto the floor ahead of him. Thunder rumbled outside, the wind whistling a harsh tune.

The Alpha steadied his breathing as he waited, concentrating on his surroundings, his finger anxiously massaging the hair trigger of his weapon.

Barry had no idea why he was behaving the way he was. It had all started fifteen minutes after his departure from Wesker. At first, everything seemed normal - well, _relatively_ normal under the given circumstances. As Barry progressed, however, the Alpha suddenly became aware of a...wrongness. It had been subtle, and yet, he felt it just the same. Giving the corridor a once over, he had merely shrugged and moved on, dismissing it. As time passed, however, the more palpable that feeling became. Barry tried to tell himself that he was being irrational, that his imagination was running wild, but...he couldn't.

Something was off.

Looking around, Barry tried to pinpoint the source of this uneasy feeling, but for the life of him, he just couldn't figure it out. And yet...his instincts were telling him, screaming at him, that he needed to find cover. Cocking his head to the side slightly, he strained his ears to hear some indicator to justify this sensation.

Something to suggest that he wasn't alone.

His lips tightening into a firm line, his eyes narrow slits, Barry waited a minute, then two, then three, holding his breath as he counted.

The wind moaned lowly, causing tree branches and shrubbery to scrape and knock at the walls and windows outside.

Remembering to breathe again, Barry lowered his weapon.

Just his imagination, that's all. Just- wait.

Barry concentrated.

Did he just hear something?

Barry looked around.

He could have sworn-

The Alpha sighed. Nothing but shadows.

This goddamn place was getting to him. Giving a dismissive huff, Barry continued onward.

Fucking Wesker.

* * *

Chris carefully pushed the door open, peeking into the room. A zombie was feasting on some guy's remains, its back facing him. Aiming his weapon, the Alpha fired, the round striking the back of its head, causing it to jerk forward. Pushing itself up, the undead creature drunkenly staggered around as round after round struck its dome. By the seventh round, it collapsed back down to the floor.

"All clear," he nodded.

Moving toward the fallen figure, the survivors stared at the bodies.

"Well," Chris started, "I guess we have to dispose of them now."

Nobody acknowledged what he said.

"Anyone have a lighter?"

Richard checked his pockets, then pulled out a small box.

"I have matches," he offered.

Chris exhaled.

"They will have to do." The Alpha Point Man sighed, shaking his head slowly. "...I'm not looking forward to this part."

Taking in a deep breath, Redfield then lit a match, staring at the tiny flame.

He _really_ wasn't looking forward to this part.

"Well, here goes nothing."

Lowering himself, he proceeded to ignite the cadavers, then backed away.

As the fire slowly spread, the survivors started to cough and cover their noses, some of them making gagging noises.

"Oh my god!" Star gagged as he whirled around and retched. As he did so, others started to join him, turning away to avoid spewing on each other. Not a single person in their group was immune.

"Jesus Christ, that smell!" Frost swore, spitting onto the floor.

"I don't think I'm ever going to eat meat again!" Richard groaned.

At the mention of food, the group renewed their regurgitations. Several minutes later, once the fire died down and they ceased throwing up, the hapless survivors gathered themselves up, letting out disgusted groans in unison.

"God, we have to do that for every damn zombie we encounter?" Star shuddered. "That's horrible!"

"I know," Rebecca agreed as she wiped her mouth.

"There's gotta be a better way than this," Richard said. "There's no way I'm doing that again!"

"Yeah, fuck that!" Joseph nodded.

"It's either this or we let these fuckers mutate," Chris said grimly. "I don't like it any more than you guys, but it's necessary, so we'll need to get used to it."

Rebecca shook her head. "There's no way on earth I can do that. Once is far too many times for me."

"Same here," Star replied. "I don't want to go through that again."

The Alpha Point Man sighed.

"I'll tell you what - in the event that I have to, I'll give you two a warning in advance and let you move away until it clears. Deal?"

The teenagers looked at each other, then back to Chris, nodding.

"Deal."

Chris nodded back.

"Alright." He gestured to the door ahead. "We're almost there, guys. Just stay strong."

The survivors turned away from the charred remains, disturbed by this new experience.

* * *

Pushing into the next room, Chris paused.

"Something wrong, buddy?" Richard asked.

Redfield pointed to the floor ahead of them, drawing gasps and murmurs. It was stained with blood.

_'Had this been here this entire time?'_ he wondered.

"What the?!" Rebecca gasped.

"Jesus, had it always been _that_ stained?" Joseph muttered. "How could we not have noticed _that_?"

Rebecca looked like she wanted to faint.

"So much blood!" Richard murmured. "Is this all Kenneth's?"

At the mention of their fallen coworker, Chris then recalled Star's description of what happened, which in turn made him recall that experience in the dining hall. That creature.

Turning around to face the albino, Chris scrutinized the youth.

Star swallowed nervously.

"I swear...I didn't do this." It sounded hollow, as if he were trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince the others.

"Then what did happen here?"

Star looked at him. "I already told you."

"You're sure you're not responsible for this, Junior?" Joseph said uncertainly.

The albino shook his head.

"There is no way I would have been able to do so," he replied. "I would...never do such a thing."

"...You said that this "Magician" thing was responsible, right?" Chris asked.

Star nodded. "Yes."

"Are you sure you saw it?"

The albino silently glared.

"Just be straight with me, kid," Chris said. "Did you kill him? Just tell me the truth."

Star was still for a moment, then answered in a quiet voice.

"...It was a quick glance, but I saw it. One moment he was standing there, the next...he was gone."

The survivors exchanged nervous looks with each other.

Chris studied the bloody pool. It's possible, he reflected, that the kid had a psychotic break and just killed the guy. Or perhaps that zombie with the axe had killed Kenneth, as Barry had suggested. He refused to believe that that...Magician thing...that ordeal, had actually happened. Swallowing, Chris gave a wave.

"We should get going, guys," he spoke. "Come on."

As they departed, Chris' boot pressed into the blood-soaked floor.

* * *

Chris' eye twitched at his latest discovery.

"Goddamn it."

Upon returning to the west terrace, the survivors discovered the doghouse in ruins. There was blood everywhere.

"The hell happened here?" Joseph asked.

"I'm guessing that bird thing ate the dog." the Alpha Point Man replied.

Joseph sighed as he took out the dog whistle.

"Well, I guess we don't need this anymore," he said. Rearing his arm back, the Omni Man was just about to throw it away when Rebecca put a hand on his arm.

"Wait. Can I have it?" she asked.

Joseph blinked. "Why?"

Rebecca shrugged.

"It could still come in handy."

Joseph gave her a curious look, then gave a nonchalant shrug back.

"Whatever. It's all yours, rookie." he said as he casually tossed it to her.

Chris watched as Rebecca caught the whistle and stuffed it into her pocket. Once she finished, he turned to address everyone.

"We need to find that dog collar. I need everyone to spread out and see if it's around here somewhere."

"Yes, sir!" Rebecca saluted a little too enthusiastically. Feeling everyone stare at her, the girl timidly placed her hand back down. "Um...sorry."

Chris gave a wave. "Don't worry. Everyone stay in sight."

The survivors separated, wandering along the terrace as they searched every corner.

_'I hope it's worth the effort.'_ Came the thought.

* * *

Rebecca wandered around, squinting at the floor.

"Where is it?" she muttered aloud.

Did the bird creature take it? If so, then they'll need to find it, and Rebecca wasn't looking forward to that.

"See anything, Star?" Rebecca called.

When he didn't answer, the medic raised her head and looked around, then paused as she spotted the albino. His back facing her, Star was staring out at the terrace.

_'What's with him?'_ she wondered. "Star?"

No response.

"Star?"

"What's going on?" Chris asked.

"I don't know," Rebecca replied. "Star?"

When he failed to answer, Rebecca began to worry and started to move toward the edge of the terrace, approaching the albino as he stared blankly down to the ground below.

"Star?"

* * *

Star was still as the memory came to him.

* * *

_He was standing on the top balcony of the hundredth floor inside a grey building, coolly observing the white tiled marble foyer down below._

_They were coming. A man and a woman were making short work of the defenses that guarded the entrance._

_Clenching his swords, he climbed up onto the rail. _

_It was time._

* * *

"Star?"

Star blinked, looking around in confusion.

"Wha?"

Rebecca studied him.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

_What are these visions?_

"Y-yeah," the albino said hesitantly. "I'm fine. I just...it's nothing. Sorry."

* * *

Chris watched as Rebecca opened her mouth to respond when Richard called.

"I got it!"

Turning to face him, he saw the Bravo holding up the dog collar in the air.

"Finally!" Frost sighed.

Chris nodded appreciatively as Richard approached and handed him the collar. "Thanks, Richie."

"No problem," Richard nodded back.

Rebecca sighed. "Okay, we got the dog collar. Now the next question - what now?"

Redfield opened his mouth, then paused, frowning.

"...Good question." Raising up the collar, he started to examine it, tilting it at different angles before suddenly noticing something. "That's odd. There's a switch here."

Pressing it, he watched as part of the collar flicked upward revealing a...coin?

"The hell?" Joseph muttered.

Taking the coin, Chris examined it under the light. A strange-looking coin with an octagon carved into the center.

"Weird," he commented. Noticing a switch, he pressed, then watched as a key distended out from the coin itself.

Redfield blinked.

"Uhh…" He and the others gave each other perplexed looks.

Star stared.

"...Did...the coin just...suddenly become-"

"Yeah," Chris nodded, completing the thought.

"So, the dog collar can turn into a coin, which in itself turns into a key." Joseph deadpanned.

"Yeah."

Rebecca shook her head disbelievingly. "Got to love Umbrella. Only _they_ could come up with something so stupid and redundant."

Chris shrugged.

"Well, at least we got a key." he replied.

Star chuckled. "Just watch, it turns out the key isn't really a key but rather a gun."

The Alpha Point Man scoffed.

"Wouldn't that be handy."

"I bet it turns into a robot like a Transformer," Rebecca said jokingly.

Chris examined it again to make sure, then shook his head.

"Nope," he affirmed. "Just a key. Now we just have to figure out where this goes. Let's check the other rooms."

* * *

The first room the survivors found themselves was a winding corridor filled with mirrors. Two of them had been shattered by what looked like gunfire, but it was the bloodstains in front of a door that drew Chris' attention. Kneeling down, he studied it curiously.

"I wonder what had happened here?" he thought aloud.

Straightening himself, Redfield then gestured for everyone to follow him through a door, proceeding on in their endless journey.

* * *

In the next area was a grey room with a set of stairs leading upward. Beside the door was a set of medieval armor with an inscription on the shield.

Star frowned. "'Death is only the beginning.'"

Joseph nodded.

"Oh yeah, I have a _really_ good feeling about this," he said sarcastically. "How about you, Chris? Feel anything? No? Well, let me tell you, buddy - from the tingling in my balls, I have a really, REALLY good feeling that we are well and truly fucked."

"Joseph shut up," Chris snapped. "Let's take it slow. For all we know we're panicking over nothing."

Climbing up the stairs, the survivors found another set of armor to the right, one that had a bladed and spiked shield with another ominous inscription.

"...'Death is the true essence of bliss,'" Star said distastefully.

"Christ, this Spencer guy is nuts," Richard muttered. "Full-blown fuck nut."

"He really seems to be obsessed with death," Rebecca shook her head.

Chris glanced to the floor, then kneeled down. There were a pair of parallel tracks indented into the ground.

"...Are these...tracks?" he wondered.

The survivors looked down in surprise, murmuring amongst each other.

"The hell?"

"Why are there tracks here?"

"What purpose could they possibly serve?"

"Do you think there's a secret tunnel around here?"

Chris studied the tracks curiously, shaking his head. Place just keeps getting stranger and stranger. The tracks extended all the way down to the other end of the corridor, curling to the right. Walking slowly along the trail, the survivors followed where they lead. Turning right, they continued on until they all stopped before a raised segment of flooring with a key inside.

"'May whoever take this emblem find peace in death,'" Star read the inscription.

The albino reached for the key when Rebecca slapped his hand.

"What was that for?!" he hissed.

"Haven't you ever seen 'Indiana Jones'?" she retorted. "Oh gee, a key with an ominous message written. I wonder if it's booby-trapped?"

Star opened his mouth to respond, then frowned. "...Good point."

"We still need it, Rebecca," Chris replied.

"Do we?"

Redfield tried to say something, but stopped.

"I...don't know," he conceded.

"Let's just check the door at the end and get out of here, okay?" Rebecca said nervously. "I don't want to hang around here."

Chris nodded.

"Sure thing."

Approaching the door, he grabbed hold of the handle. Locked. Getting into a stance, he started to kick the door.

"I'm going to need some help!" Chris called.

Moving beside him, the survivors started to kick together, the door swinging open after the fifth attempt. Giving the grey corridor a final glance, the survivors slipped through into the next area.

* * *

Rebecca stared at the massive library they were in.

"My god!" she gasped. "Look at this place!"

There were multiple rows of shelves all around the survivors, with hundreds or thousands of books. The room was so large that it hand an extra level on the second floor with a wall-mounted ladder. From the titles, a lot of these were books on biology, chemistry and philosophy.

"Must be nice to be filthy rich." Joseph muttered.

"No kidding!" Star said in amazement. "Look at all these books!"

Rebecca watched as the albino put his suitcases down and approached a nearby shelf, scanning the rows before suddenly pausing.

"It can't be..." he said quietly.

"What?" Rebecca asked.

Pulling a book out from the shelf from third row, the hooded albino opened it up and examined its inner cover.

"...I can't believe this!" he gasped. "One of the original 1895 volumes of _'Natural History Conspectus'_ by Henry Travis in pristine condition!"

"Who?" Chris said in confusion.

"Henry Travis," Star repeated. "One of the seven inheritors to Travis Enterprises?"

Rebecca shook her head.

"Doesn't ring any bells, I'm afraid."

"I think they underwent a name change, but I can't recall what it's called," the albino shrugged.

"What's so special about the book, Junior?" Joseph asked.

"It's a _very_ rare title!" Star exclaimed. "Travis had spent thirty-five years in Africa and had compiled all of his experiences and knowledge across 72 volumes."

"Was it popular?" Chris asked.

"Not at all. Travis' brother had let it slip that supposedly a lot of his accounts were fabricated, and as a result they were dismissed by the entirety of the scientific community. There were rumors that the reason for his doing so was so that Travis Enterprises would corner the market by keeping the knowledge contained within for themselves, but I'm not entirely convinced, to be honest. Whatever the truth of the matter was, it died with him - Travis ended up suffering from depression after the failure of his book series before ultimately committing suicide two years later."

Joseph whistled.

"Damn, that's rough."

"So, what makes it so valuable?" Rebecca asked.

"For one, the series had only been given a limited publication," Star answered, "and because of that, there's only a handful of these. One copy of _'Natural_ _History Conspectus'_ alone had been sold for over four million dollars."

"Four _million_?!" Chris gawked.

"Yes."

"You're sure, Junior?" Joseph asked.

Star pulled open the cover and pointed inside. "The publisher listed here had collapsed in 1905. This is their insignia. Even more, the series never had any reprints. I myself had spent _years_ trying to find a copy, even a reprint, but I never had any luck."

"Plus his mom is a librarian," Rebecca spoke up.

The albino hesitated. "Well...that too."

The survivors stared.

"So...this is what four million dollars looks like," Joseph murmured.

Star stared at the book in his hands.

"...Why would Spencer leave something so valuable lying around in this place?" he wondered aloud.

Chris shrugged. "Perhaps he's so arrogant and wealthy that it didn't matter."

The albino frowned. "But a rare commodity such as this? What's stopping his employees from taking and selling his things without him noticing any time they wanted to?"

Rebecca nodded in agreement. It didn't make sense.

It was then she recalled the Training Facility.

"...I think I know." she spoke up.

All eyes turned to her.

"Star, do you remember that room in the Training Facility, the one with all of the TV screens?"

The albino hesitated.

"You...think there are-"

Rebecca nodded.

"What are you guys talking about?" Chris asked.

"Security cameras," Richard said simply.

An uncomfortable silence fell across the survivors as the implications of that word dawned upon them.

Star glanced around. "...Do you think we're being monitored as we speak?"

"It would make sense if we were," Rebecca replied, "or rather, are. You said it yourself, Star- what's stopping Umbrella's employees from stealing something valuable? If, however, they were being watched all the time, with all of their activities recorded..."

The survivors nervously regarded the library. Chris exhaled.

"...Let's look around and see if we can find anything useful."

* * *

As the group dispersed, Star remained where he stood, staring down at the book in his hands in indecision.

_'I could really use the money,'_ Star thought._ 'Plus I've always wanted to read this. Maybe Spencer wouldn't pay no mind if I-'_

He then stopped himself from completing the thought, horrified at what he was doing, at what he was contemplating.

What was he thinking?!

Star's face fell as he looked down guiltily.

"Star?"

Hearing Rebecca's voice, he looked up. "Uh, yes?"

"You okay?"

He didn't say anything.

"...What's wrong?" the medic asked in concern.

The albino was quiet for a moment, then looked away.

"...Nothing. It's nothing." he replied. He paused as he felt Rebecca's hand on his arm.

"Be straight with me," she said quietly. "What's the matter?"

Star uncertainly looked around.

"We're alone, you don't have to worry," she assured. "I won't say anything. Not if you don't want me to. What's wrong?"

The albino hesitated, unsure of whether to answer. He exhaled.

"...I...just...can't help wondering about my...inner nature." the red-clad youth answered. "I've never told anyone this but...I've...always wanted to be a hero."

He winced, regretting his choice of words.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with that," Rebecca said. "On some level we all want to do something heroic. What's the problem?"

He looked down sadly. "...Is it possible for...a villain...to...become one?"

Rebecca looked at him incredulously.

"How can you say that?!" she asked.

He frowned. "Never mind."

"No, don't just "never mind" me. What is going on?" Rebecca demanded.

Star lowered his eyes sadly.

"I can't help feeling as if...as if...…..there is a sickness in my soul...that is, assuming I even have one. Last night,...I have killed...and now...I am contemplating theft." He said as he looked to the book in his hands. "...I don't know if this is a sign that I _am_ evil, or this is a sign that I am slowly but surely _becoming_ evil...and...I'm absolutely terrified."

Rebecca sighed.

"Look at me."

Star obeyed, then blinked as the medic reached up and flicked him between the eyes.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"For being a dumbass." she replied. "You're not evil, nor are you becoming evil. You're scared, tired and hungry, that's all. As for this," Rebecca then took the book and placed it back onto the shelf. Turning around to face Star, she dusted off her hands and smiled. "There. Problem solved."

As she walked past him, the albino watched her, then glanced back to the book.

Exhaling, he shook his head grimly.

"If only it were true. If only it were that simple," Star said softly.

Sighing, the albino moved down the aisles, his mind troubled.

* * *

Barry was still as he listened.

...There!

Drawing his weapon, he pivoted around, aiming down the barrel.

Nothing.

"I swear someone had been following me," he muttered.

Turning around, Barry continued on down the corridor. Behind him, shadows stirred restlessly.

* * *

Richard indifferently glanced around at the various book titles. A lot of it seemed to be chemistry-based, although there was the odd book on philosophy. Rounding a corner to the right, the Bravo paused as he saw a hard cover book on the floor.

"What the hell?" he muttered in surprise.

Kneeling down, Richard picked up the item, blowing dust off from its jacket, wiping spider webs away with his arm. Once he finished, the Bravo stared at the book, perplexed by the image. What were the odds that he would find a book here that had a picture of Chris and Jill on the cover?

He studied the title, then read it aloud.

"...'Resident...Evil'?"


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Pursuit

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Fifteen: Pursuit**

Jill let out a groan as she pressed all of her weight into the set of armor.

"This. Is. Bullshit!" she muttered through grit teeth as she pushed it into place.

Stopping momentarily, Jill wiped the perspiration from her forehead, glancing around miserably at her surroundings. She was in a large spacious brown room with ten knights on stands at opposite ends against the wall facing each other. In the center was a square pedestal and a button, labeled with an ominous message that read "Woe to those who disturb my sleep". What had caught Jill's attention, however, was at the back of the room; at the rear wall were four framed pictures of knights with a small depression below that contained something, but it was barred off. When she first entered, four of the stands had slid forward. Taking their movement and positioning as a clue, the past twenty minutes had been spent trying to solve the riddle of this area. Pressing the button only caused the room to be flooded with gas, forcing her to leave. Obviously, pressing the button came after. She had to push these suits of armor back into their original position, though in what order proved to be the tricky part. Once it had all cleared up, she returned and had tried pushing in the statues, but no matter how many times she tried, the Alpha couldn't get it.

Wiping her flushed cheeks, she gave a heavy sigh.

"This damn room is trying to kill me." Eying the depression, Jill gave it a determined and withering look. "You better be worth the effort."

It better have something extremely valuable in there, like a powerful weapon or something, because her patience was wearing thin, fast. If it all had been for nothing, so help her, Jill was going to be furious.

Starting with the knight in the far right hand corner, Jill groaned as she pushed it into place. Once that was done, she then approached the one to the left of the door and repeated the same process.

"I should have followed Dad's line of work," she muttered, "but nooo, I had to be the good guy and go into the creepy, monster-filled mansion hidden in the woods."

When Jill finished lining it against the wall, she then turned around and pushed the other suit opposite back.

Upon finishing, the remaining knight slid back into position against the wall. Approaching the pedestal, Jill took in a deep breath.

"Well, here goes nothing."

Pressing the switch, she watched as the bars receded.

"Yeah!" Jill cheered. "I won!"

She felt so proud herself right now. Old Dick Valentine raised no fool, that's for sure.

_'Pop would be proud,'_ she thought smugly. And now to claim her prize.

Approaching the depression, Jill reached inside and extracted the item, studying it curiously. It was an ornate-looking jewelry box that had an elaborate design of the crescent moon and sun at the top. Jill squinted at the inscription written on the plate.

"'Sunshine will awaken me,'" she murmured.

Tilting it at different angles, the Alpha blinked at the sight of switches, then frowned.

Another fucking puzzle.

Jill sighed wearily. "Goddamn it."

* * *

Richard stared at the cover of the book, mystified.

"What is this?" he murmured to himself.

Drawing it open, he started to read.

* * *

Jill heard a click as she pressed a button on the side. Flipping open the lid of the jewelry box, she stared at the item inside, frowning.

"Of course it would be this," Jill muttered.

Inside was a grey, gruesome-looking death mask that was devoid of eyes, nose and mouth, with some orange jewels embedded in the right side of its forehead. Picking it up, Jill gave a look of disgust as she studied her newest find.

"This is so gross."  
Stuffing it immediately into her fanny pack, the Alpha wiped her hands on her pants, shuddering.

_Time to get out of here._

Moving toward the door, Jill pulled it open, then stopped as she found herself staring at a giant armored chest. Looking up, she saw a red lensed, gas mask-covered face leering down at her.

"Oh shit!"

The words had barely left her mouth when the titan grabbed her by the neck and hoisted her off her feet as she shrieked. Raising her pistol, Jill fired her weapon into its domed head, forcing the creature to drop her onto the floor. Massaging her sore throat, Jill coughed as she ran past, curling to the right of the U-shaped corridor as she tried to put some distance between her and that thing.

She was just a foot from the door to the main hall when a wall exploded in front of her.

"JESUS!" Jill cried as she skidded along the carpet, startled as the armored being stepped through the hole it made in front of her. Turning around, she bolted back down the corridor as it stomped after her, letting out an angry roar.

THOOMTHOOMTHOOM!

Every heavy clank of its step rumbled through her entire body as it charged, the noise so loud that Jill could practically feel it. Jill fired wildly over her shoulder, the rounds bouncing harmlessly off its armored chest and helmet as it single-mindedly followed her through room after room after room after room. From the pillar room, the attic, and back again, the creature followed unrelentingly in its pursuit, smashing through doors, zombies, even the corpse of that giant snake with a mighty swing of its axe.

"GO! AWAY!" Jill yelled as she fired her pistol into its domed helmet.

The creature wheezed as it stomped toward her, the axe brandishing overhead. No matter where she went, he followed.

Pushing through the door of the next room, Jill nearly had a heart attack as a zombie came out of nowhere and tried to grab her. Evading its grip, she bolted down the stairs, nearly tripping as her pursuer entered the room, swatting the zombie aside effortlessly. Reaching into her fanny pack, she felt around.

_'Come on, come on, there must be something useful here!'_ she thought desperately.

Hearing a growl overhead, Jill looked up.

"You have got to be fucking kidding!" she swore as she ducked to the side, evading a winged dog as it fell from the ceiling. Running blindly through the various rooms and corridors, Jill moved swiftly past the various creatures as her heavily armored "friend" followed close behind.

The Alpha felt around in her pack. Come on, come on! There must be something-

Jill paused as she pulled out the flashbang.

Of course! How could she have forgotten about this?!

Looking back to the giant shadow lumbering toward her, Jill removed the pin.

"Hope this works."

She waited a couple seconds, then tossed the flashbang at the behemoth's armored foot. One second later, POW!

Jill groaned as her ears rang, her vision partially splotchy. Looking back to the armored giant, she watched as the creature roared and reached up to its lensed eyes, stumbling slightly.

_'It worked!'_ she thought excitedly.

Gathering her bearings, Jill ran past the creature. Once she had put some distance between them, the Alpha climbed up the stairs and back to the U-shaped corridor. Entering the main hall, Jill slammed the door shut behind her, her breathing harsh and heavy.

"Jesus!" she gasped.

Inhaling deeply, Jill exhaled as she leaned back against the door.

"What did you get yourself into this time, Jill?" she asked herself.

* * *

Richard's mind was a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions.

At a glance, it just seemed to be an ordinary book. However, the more he peered into its pages, the more perplexed and troubled the Bravo became. It was a story of madness and horror, a story that made Aiken angry and vulnerable simultaneously.

_His_ story.

At first, the Bravo thought it was some sort of sick joke on the part of Joseph's, but the more he progressed, the more Aiken started to sweat and regard everything around him with such fear and anxiety as he never had felt before. He felt as if the fabrics of reality were hanging delicately from a thread, his mind threatening to snap. The story recounted everything that had happened to Aiken and his team - all the creatures he encountered, all the things that he had said, his thoughts, private moments of Aiken's life such as his kissing his girlfriend Bridgette before parting for the Station after a heavy bout of love-making, right down to the exact words used! It even mentioned the guilt he felt for his baby sister, something he had never told anyone about!

"What the fuck?!" Aiken gasped. How was this even possible?!

Flipping eagerly further, the Bravo stared with disbelief, for the next set of pages featured events _as they were happening at that particular moment_. He read of how he read of how he read of how he read of how he read a section before ultimately closing the book in his trembling hands, his brain overwhelmed and terrified. He felt dizzy, the room spinning around him. Sitting down onto the floor, Aiken massaged his temples, trying to reduce the adrenalin flowing through his system.

_'Deep breaths,'_ he reminded himself._ 'Slow, deep breaths.'_

Once he got himself under control, Aiken looked back to the book, regarding it anxiously. Reaching out, the Bravo suddenly paused, hesitating.

Should he continue looking?

Aiken feared what it contained...but by the same token, though...he felt...drawn. He resisted at first, but after tentatively brushing his fingers against its cover, the Bravo gave in to temptation and peered inside, continuing on from where he left off. Moving forward a couple pages, Aiken noticed a shift in focus. The next several pages detailed events that _were_ to come, that _have yet_ to happen. Flipping towards the end, the Bravo read on. The story ended with him being eaten by a giant shark.

Aiken did a double-take.

The hell? A shark...? What...?

Closing his eyes, the Bravo scoffed, shaking his head as he began to realize what was going on.

"Fucking Joseph," he muttered.

This was fucked up, even for him, but it figured that the little shitbird would do something like this. But how did he know about his sister Annie? How did he know about his time with Bridgette?

Aiken tried thinking back, but he couldn't remember any time when he had. Perhaps he had mentioned something at the bar and had been really drunk. In terms of Bridgette, the little pervert must have been there, watching them go at it.

"You are a fucking asshole, you know that, Joseph?!" Aiken yelled. "Guess what, prick - there are no sharks this far inland!"

Nobody responded. Neither Chris, nor Joseph nor Rebecca replied. Not even the albino freak.

"Guys?" he called uncertainly.

Did they just leave him?

Aiken didn't hear the door open or close, and yet...the room felt so...empty.

Where had they gone?

It was then that Aiken's radio went off.

"Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?" Someone spoke from the other end.

"The hell?" The Bravo blinked as he raised up his radio. "This is Officer Aiken of S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team. Who is this?"

"It doesn't matter who I am," the man replied. "Have you read the book?"

Aiken was still for a moment. "What book?"

"You know the one, Richard. The one in your hand."

Getting up slowly from the floor, Aiken looked around suspiciously, peering through and around shelves, then up at the ceiling.

"How do you know my name?" Aiken said hoarsely. "Where are you?! Who are you?!"

"Like I said before, it doesn't matter. What _does_ matter, Richard, is where _your_ story is headed. I have given you a brief glimpse of what awaits you at the end."

"So, what? I'm on a beach somewhere with my girlfriend and I end up eaten by a shark?"

"Unfortunately no. Had you bothered to read the rest of the story, you would have known that you never leave this mansion. This is where and how you will die."

Aiken stared at the radio, then huffed.

"Joseph you fucktard! You think this is funny?!"

"I'm afraid you're confused, Richard." the voice replied. "I am not Joseph."

"Then who are you?!" Aiken demanded.

"All in due time. Listen carefully to what I have to say - your end is coming soon, and it's coming quickly. If you want to change the outcome of your future and survive this night, you will need to follow my instructions. I can also arrange to change the fate of your sister."

Aiken paled.

"My sister?! How do you-? Just who-?"

"There is no time for explanations," the voice cut him off. "We are being monitored as we speak. All you need to know is that I am an interested party. Tell no one, and more importantly, whatever you do, do _not_ trust the boy."

Aiken blinked.

"The 'boy'?" he repeated. "You mean Wolf?"

"We will speak again soon."

"Wait, wait!" Aiken called. "What do you mean? Hello? Damn it!"

"Is something wrong, Officer Aiken?"

Aiken jumped, startled as he whirled around to see Star.

"Jesus, you scared me," the Bravo gasped.

The youth gave a polite nod.

"My apologies. Is everything alright?" Star asked concernedly. "You were just standing there looking blankly ahead."

The Bravo looked at him in surprise.

"I was?"

"You were," the youth in red affirmed. "Is everything okay?"

Aiken blinked several times. The hell? Looking back to Star, he then nodded.

"Uh yeah," the Bravo replied. "Do you know where the others are?"

"They're just wandering and looking around," Star then looked down at something, then gave a small smile. "I didn't realize you liked Shakespeare's works, Officer."

Aiken hesitated.

"Huh?"

"The book you're holding," Star indicated.

Aiken glanced down to the book in his hand, then did a double-take. The cover had changed. It no longer said "Resident Evil". Instead, it was "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

Raising his eyes, Aiken scrunched up his brows. What the hell happened?

"...Officer?"

Aiken blinked.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's fine. I was just curious," he lied. "Out of curiosity...did you hear anything?"

Star blinked.

"No, not at all," he answered. "Why?"

_Whatever you do, do not trust the boy._

Aiken sighed.

"It's nothing." he shrugged. "Just the wind, I guess."

The albino glanced around, then raised a brow quizzically at him. Shrugging, the youth turned his attention back to the shelves and moved away. Aiken observed him, taking note of his behavior.

_I'll need to keep a close eye on him._

Looking back to the book itself, he leapt with surprise to see writing on the cover, nearly dropping it.

_We will meet soon._

Raising his eyes from the cover, the Bravo eyed his surroundings, hastily putting the book back into a shelf as he briskly moved to a different section of the library, the hairs on his arms standing on end.

* * *

Curien stood before the pod, his eyes lowered.

Inside the fluid-filled glass container, a figure snapped his jaws as he struggled against his restraints, his snarls and roars muffled as long clouds of bubbly foam streamed upward from his mouth to the surface.

Raising a shaky hand up, he reached up longingly to the glass, staring at the face of its occupant.

"My boy," he said softly, his voice full of emotion, on the verge of cracking. "My poor little boy..."

He hated seeing him in this state, for every time he did, it always broke his heart.

"My poor...sweet little boy."

He used to be such a bright and happy child, so full of life and joy. Seeing him like this...Curien felt anguished.

The thing he has become...

He should have stayed on his treatment. Curien had tried to warn him, but he wouldn't listen. And now... here they were. What Curien would give to not be perpetually tormented by this unending nightmare. What he would give for the child to be himself again...

How long had it been since Roy held the child in his arms? How long had it been since he heard him laugh? Heard him cry? How long had it been since he last _spoke_?

He stared into the glass, trying to see something of the spark that he recognized, something to indicate some aspect of his child remained. Some flicker of recognition from those pasty dull white eyes. Finding nothing, Curien took off his sunglasses, allowing his heterochromatic eyes to tear up as the thing in the glass pod contorted its face into various bestial expressions.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," the man in white whispered. "God help me, I am so...sorry."

Resting his forehead against the glass, Curien closed his eyes, swallowing as he allowed tears to run free.

"I-I promise I will try to fix this." he said softly. "I will-I will...never leave you. So help me, Daniel, as long as I live, I will never leave you."

Daniel struggled and roared in his pod, his face a mask of animalistic fury while his father looked hopelessly and despondently on.


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Uncertainties

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Sixteen: Uncertainties**

Star flipped through the pages of the book, inhaling the dusky old scent of aged paper as he did so.

_'Home,'_ he thought simply.

It was a comforting smell, one that he often associated with his childhood, with Eleanor as she happily worked at the library. He often liked to sit somewhere and get lost in the words of poets and tales that were told, enchanted by the worlds depicted and the characters that inhabited them. He inspected the aged and cracked cover, running his gloved thumb along its bindings, shaking his head sadly. It was a shame to see a book in such a state, but then again, the same thing could be said about this mansion. To Star, it almost seemed symbolic in a way; it were as if Umbrella's corruption was physically manifesting and spreading itself like the very virus they created, clinging to everything around them, everything they touched.

Giving a heavy regretful sigh, he put the book and retrieved another, smaller black book, then froze, giving a rueful smile as he saw the title.

'Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus'.

Reaching out to put it back, Star paused, hesitating as he pulled it back into view. Gloved hands ran along the bindings as he stared contemplatively at the title's gold lettering.

….Could it be...that Fate was trying to tell him something?

Part of him wanted to scoff at such a notion, but the lines between rationality and insanity these past two nights have become so blurred that one has become indistinguishable from the other.

His lips tightening into a grim line, he cast his slit eyes around the library in suspicion.

Was he...a pawn in some sick game orchestrated by Umbrella? Was he an experiment, and this was Fate's way of warning him of what lied ahead for him and everyone involved? And if so...was there...was there a way to circumvent such a thing from happening?

Star regarded the book shelves around him, stuffing the book in his hand back into its proper place. Winding around on his heels, the albino found himself pausing on a green book. At the sight of its author, Star allowed the corners of his mouth to lift slightly, his features softening.

"Ah, good old Sophocles," he spoke aloud.

Opening it up, Star was pleased to see the collection of plays available in its index. Scanning the titles, the albino smiled to himself.

It had been a while since he had read any of these, especially-

Star suddenly jerked back with a start, his eyes widening as he looked up in horror, the book dropping onto the floor with a thud.

"Oh my god."

Star's breathing started to quicken as he fearfully looked around the room, backing away slowly.

So _that's_ Umbrella's plan!

"Star?"

Hearing Rebecca's voice, the albino turned his head in the direction where he heard it, then back to the entrance.

He needed to get as far away as possible.

Picking up his suitcases, Star headed for the door, mentally cursing Umbrella's name as he did so.

* * *

It was the sound of a book dropping that caused Rebecca to lift her eyes away from the shelf in front of her.

"Oh my god."

Rebecca turned as she heard the albino's voice.

"Star?"

She listened as his footsteps receded.

"Hey Junior, everything-"

Joseph was cut off as a door opened and closed.

Following the sound, Rebecca found herself back at the library entrance, watching as Joseph scratched the back of his head.

"What's with him?" he wondered.

"Did you insult him?" Chris asked.

"No, I swear I didn't do anything!" Frost insisted.

Rebecca pushed through the door, moving through the corridors with the knight statues.

"Star?" she called. "Star?"

Searching around, Rebecca paused as she caught sight of Star's giant departing form.

"Star!"

Hearing his name, the albino froze, his hands tightened fast around the handles of his suitcases. Rebecca walked toward him, his back facing her.

"Star, what's going on?"

The hooded figure remained still, not bothering to turn around.

"Answer me." Rebecca insisted.

"...I know what Umbrella intends to do." Star spoke.

Rebecca hesitated. "You do?"

He nodded.

"Yes."

"You got back your memories?"

He sighed. "No. It was something I read that made me think of it."

"And what was it?"

"'Oedipus Rex'," he simply.

Rebecca blinked.

"I'm sorry?"

"You are familiar with the story of Oedipus, I take it?"

"Um, Oedipus was the guy who slept with his mom, right?"

"That's only part of the story," Star answered. "According to the myth, Oedipus was the son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta. Prior to his birth, it was foretold in a prophecy that he would murder his father and marry his mother, thereby bringing disaster to his family and city. Hoping to thwart his destiny, King Laius sent a shepherd to leave the child up on the mountain to die."

"How does this relate to you?" Rebecca asked.

"...You know that scenario you described, with me being an experiment by Umbrella?" he began. "Let me amend that somewhat. Suppose your Captain had been investigating Umbrella, or that he was on the verge of finding out about them and their loathsome activities. Suppose for a moment...that there had never been a lover or girlfriend."

"...I don't understand."

Star remained still, his back facing her as he looked down to the floor.

"Suppose for a moment...Umbrella...took Captain Wesker's DNA without his knowing and-and used it to...manufacture something. Something created out of spite and mockery, as a way of telling your Captain that they now own him, essentially enslaving him to them. Something designed to let him know who had ultimately won. Suppose, Rebecca...that they wanted to create... a _destroyer_. A destroyer specially created as a sick joke. A destroyer...designed to eliminate the very things Captain Wesker built, valued and upheld. Designed to eliminate S.T.A.R.S."

He turned around slowly.

"A destroyer," Star said as he fearfully looked at her, "...that would come in the form of his own son. Umbrella's horrible reenactment of the Oedipus myth, in a manner of speaking...with the son bringing death and ruin to the father and everything he loved."

Rebecca processed his words.

Was it possible?

"...If that's so..." Rebecca began, "...what is it that you intend to do?"

Star looked away.

"I'm going to get out of here and put as much distance between us as possible!" he replied, his voice laced with panic. "I am not going to stand by and let them use me against you!"

He started onward, moving quickly.

"Don't run away!" Rebecca said as she tried following after him. "Even if what you say is true, you can't just run!"

"I can't help it, Rebecca! I'm afraid!"

"So am I, but I'm not going to let that stop me from doing what I can to help you!"

Star shook his head.

"There is no hope for me, Rebecca," he said sadly.

"Running away won't solve anything! Trust me, I know how you feel."

The albino stopped, his hands clenching the handles of his bags.

"How can you know that?!" Star demanded, raising his voice. "How on God's green earth can you possibly know what it means to be an abomination?!"

"Because I'm an abomination myself!" Rebecca yelled back.

Star hesitated, then turned around to face her.

"What?" he said, startled.

Rebecca folded her arms together.

"...It's true." the medic said as Star gave her a puzzled look, shaking her head angrily. "You are so selfish."

The albino's jaw dropped.

"_S__elfish_?!" he repeated in disbelief.

"Yes!" Rebecca retorted. "That's what you are, selfish!"

"For not wanting to hurt anyone?! For not wanting to hurt you?!"

"You think you're the only one with worries? You have been so preoccupied with whether you're human or not just because of the way you look that it's never seemed to have crossed your mind that you don't need scales, scars or horns to be evil. You should be ashamed of yourself, Star. You think you know what evil is?" She stared to the ground, her face shadowed. "...I'm...I'm the real thing."

The albino stared, blinking in confusion. "...I don't understand."

Rebecca shifted in discomfort.

"...You know how back at the Training Facility...you said...that I deserved to be happy?" she shook her head sadly, speaking in a small and quiet voice. "...Would you...would you feel the same way...had I told you that I was the child of rape?"

* * *

Star felt as if he were struck by a powerful blow as he stared at Rebecca in shock, his mouth gaping open.

"...You-? You mean...?"

Rebecca gave a sad smile, looking away as a teardrop slid down her cheek.

"...I had been asleep in my room when I heard my parents fought last week," she began. "I had opened the door to listen in and hear what they were saying. They were arguing over something. I couldn't hear it in its entirety, but I heard bits and pieces. Something about cheating. I don't know. I guess Dad had been cheating on Mom and Mom found out about it. He said-he said to my mom in a very loud voice...'I'm...'" Rebecca's lip started to tremble, looking as though she were trying to muster up the strength to form the words, "'I'm...I'm glad I-I had raped you on our wedding night, you fucking bitch!'"

The words came out so softly and so low that one had to strain their ears to listen, yet it was powerful enough to catch Star completely off-guard and cause Rebecca to break down. The albino stood there, watching as Rebecca raised up a hand to her face as she started to sob.

"Rebecca I...I'm so sorry," he said, too speechless for words.

She wiped her eyes, taking a deep breath as she recollected herself.

"You see, Star? You're not the only scary thing here."

The hooded albino looked around uncertainly.

"I know what you're thinking," Rebecca spoke up. "I had those same thoughts. I too had worried about my nature. I too worried whether I was being punished and if I had deserved it. Whether my father's crimes would be...passed on through me. If I would be a rapist like him or that I would be the mother of rapists. I had also thought of running away...but then I realized….if I did, then...then no one will be able to help Mom. If you truly love your Mother and Father, you won't run away."

Star lowered his eyes.

"...What if I don't have any choice in the matter?" he asked quietly. "What if Umbrella...I don't know...throws a switch or something and..." The youth tried to find the right words, "...activate me?"

Rebecca scoffed.

"What, like a robot?"

"Well...yes."

The medic thoughtfully regarded him, saying nothing for a few minutes. Stepping forward, Star watched as she approached. The next thing he knew, Rebecca raised up her hand and honked his nose, causing him to stare down at her with a nonplused expression, blinking in bemusement.

"Nope, no button there." She then poked various other parts of his face as she beep-booped playfully. Pulling back, she shook her head.

"Well, so much for that theory." She shrugged. Just as she was about to step away, Rebecca suddenly paused. "Wait. I see something. What is that?"

The albino looked at her eagerly.

"What? What is it?"

Rebecca squinted.

"I see...I see..."

"Yes?"

"...An opportunity."

Raising up her hand, Rebecca suddenly flicked him between the eyes. A satisfied cat-like grin formed on her face as her green eyes lit up with mischief, causing his pulse to quicken and a small amused smile to form on his face. A moment later, Star's smile dropped as he regarded her seriously.

"...I'm sorry to hear about your mother."

Rebecca lowered her eyes. "You and me both."

The albino then suddenly gave her a curious look.

"...What makes you so certain that you were the result of rape? You said that your parents had been in an argument, right? Perhaps your father...just said it to hurt your mother."

Rebecca shook her head.

"Maybe. The thing is, I don't really know myself," she answered. "But the way my father said it so proudly... I'm pretty sure I am."

Star shook his head sadly. "We really are a couple of walking horror stories, aren't we?"

Rebecca scoffed.

"Tell me about it," she replied, then looked at him with a twinkle in her eye, "although you're the weirder one between the two of us, Mr. I-eat-dog food."

Star laughed.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" he smiled.

"Nope." Rebecca giggled.

The teenagers continued to laugh when the medic suddenly jerked to the side, causing them to abruptly stop.

"Wha?" Rebecca looked around, then glared at Star. "Why did you shove me?!"

"I didn't do anything!" the albino insisted.

"Yes you did!" she said indignantly. "I felt you push me!'

"I swear I never laid a hand on you!"

"Well I didn't push mys-" Rebecca was cut off as she suddenly slammed herself into the wall to the right. The girl started to strain herself as she looked around in confusion. "What's going-"

She was cut off as she fell to the floor, her whole body dragging along the ground, back toward the library by some invisible force, the girl screaming as she did so.

_'The hell? This is...just like...'_ Star's eyes suddenly widened in remembrance and realization, then bolted forward.

"No! NO!" He cried as he dropped his suitcases and frantically reached for Rebecca's hand. Not her! Grabbing hold of her hands and arms, he watched as she suddenly floated up into the air like some screaming girl-shaped balloon.

"HELP ME! STAR HELP ME!" Rebecca screamed.

"I GOT YOU! I GOT YOU!" The albino yelled as he held on for dear life, bracing himself as his feet slowly slid along the floor as he was being dragged, looking around wildly as he did so. "HELP! HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP! OFFICER REDFIELD! OFFICER FROST! HELP!"

Where the hell were they?!

Rebecca's terrified, tear-filled eyes imploringly looked to him as she screamed and kicked her feet around in the air.

"HELP ME! PLEASE HELP ME!" she begged.

"I'M NOT LETTING YOU GO!"

Rebecca's eyes suddenly bulged at something behind Star. As she did so, she shrieked at the top of her lungs, hurting the albino's ears. Turning around, Star felt something ram into him, knocking the youth off his feet as he fell face forward with a grunt.

Shaking his head, Star looked frantically up as Rebecca's screams echoed down the corridor.

"REBECCA!" he screamed, reaching out with his gloved hand.

Struggling to his feet, Star ran down the corridor repeatedly yelling her name, trying to follow the medic's screams. Hearing her again, the albino jerked in surprise to the left, startled as he heard a sound and caught sight of an outline, then whipped around in fright as he heard her scream to the left again.

What the hell?

Rebecca's screams warbled all around him from every direction. At one moment the screaming sounded as if it were in some distant part of the building, but in the next it seemed extremely close. At one point, it sounding as if the screams were directly behind or beside him. As Rebecca's screams circled around him, the albino clutched hold of his ears, trying to focus.

Once the screams trailed away, Star raised up his eyes, then looked around.

What the hell was going on?

Turning back to the library, Star ran back into the room.

"Officer!" he called, flinging the door open. "Officer I need-" He paused, then looked around the room. "Hello?"

Nobody responded. A sickening feeling started to form in the pit of Star's stomach as he started to check around the library.

"Officer Redfield?" he said in a low, hushed voice, peeking behind shelves as he spared nervous glances over his shoulders. "...Officer Aiken?...Officer Frost?"

Casting worried eyes around, Star anxiously swallowed as he began to realize the horrible truth of his situation.

He was completely alone.


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Alone

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Seventeen: Alone**

Flames wavered unsteadily on the wall-mounted candelabra as Star moved past.

"...Hello?" he called in a tiny, fear-filled voice.

He had checked around the various corners, but no matter how many times he called, no matter where he looked, the library remained barren. Only Star remained.

_'Where have they gone?'_ he thought to himself.

What the hell happened?

One moment, they were all here. The next, the group just vanished.

And Rebecca-!

The red-draped looked around with uncertainty.

Was he going crazy?

He just saw Rebecca being lifted by some invisible force, and Star didn't know what to make of it.

At first, Star thought of raising his radio to contact someone, but he stopped himself from doing so as fear gnawed at his soul. He worried of the possibility of endangering someone by attracting enemies to their position, but his greatest worry, however, was the _very_ real possibility of nobody answering.

The hood shifted as he turned his head from side to side in anxiousness, his troubled mind conflicted.

What should he do?

On one hand, Star _wanted_ to help the other survivors; not only was it the morally right thing to do, but he really wanted to prove himself to them. On the other hand, though...he didn't know how. He wasn't a soldier, nor was he a police officer. At best, he was a freakish university student that spent his time burying himself in books and practiced martial arts, which made it unlikely to be of any use to an elite unit such as S.T.A.R.S. Even worse, Star deeply feared the possibility of proving himself _right _about his suspicions.

The albino froze.

Was...was this an indication that Umbrella was taking control of him?

Star swallowed, his chest beating in an anxious rhythmic pulse as he eyed his surroundings.

How would he even know if such a thing were to happen?

A multitude of thoughts swarmed the youth's brain as he contemplated the best course of action to take. His first immediate thought was to flee...but he then thought of Rebecca, of her tear-filled green eyes as she pleaded to him for help.

His gloved hands tightened into fists as he stared impotently to the floor.

_'What about Rebecca, you fool?!'_ one side berated. _'Are you just going to leave her for dead?!'_

_'How do I even know that was real?!' _he countered. _'How do I know my feelings for her aren't constructs that were made by Umbrella?! How do I know she wasn't part of the test?! Are my own thoughts my own, or are they Umbrella's?!'_

_'So you're just going to let her die just to prove to yourself that you have personal autonomy.'_

Star hesitated, startled by the thought.

No. It would be wrong. And yet...he had no idea what to do. He wasn't brave Theseus or mighty Heracles. He wasn't cunning Odysseus. He wasn't Perseus. He wasn't Dante, let alone Vergil. He wasn't Lancelot or any of the knights of the Round Table. He wasn't even Same Spade or Phillip Marlowe.

He feared the very real possibility of it all backfiring. What if in attempting to rescue he ended up making things worse? What certainty was there that he wasn't under Umbrella's influence right now, hunting them? If he were to rescue...would it be a rescue, or would it be a delusion? A delusion created as he murdered S.T.A.R.S.?

_'You can't just leave!'_ Part of him insisted. _'Mother needs you! Father needs you! Rebecca needs you! Don't you love them?!'_

Star's pauldron-clad shoulders sagged.

That was the problem. While he didn't know how to feel about the man he believed to be his father, Star cared enormously about Eleanor and Rebecca. But if he was right about himself, about his assumptions...

Letting out a deep, regretful sigh, he closed his scarred eyes.

"Mother, Father...Rebecca...I'm sorry."

Turning to the entrance, Star walked forward and reached out for the door.

* * *

Rebecca's head spun as the world swirled around her, the air shimmering and distorted as she screamed, the sound coming out as a sort of watery, gurgling echo.

The medic had no idea where she was, let alone what was happening.

She felt as if she were moving so fast it was a miracle that she didn't burst into flame. Grabbing her collar was a long three-clawed arm, but she couldn't see its owner.

Colors phased around her in electrical arcs, some of them so strange and alien-looking that Rebecca herself wasn't sure if there were words to describe them. Violets of such hue that they seemed almost metallic. Light hues of blue that shined and sparkled like diamonds, and others she had trouble identifying. Looking dazedly at her surroundings, she watched as everything seemed to move at a snail's pace. She saw a zombie slowly turning on its heel, moving as if it were underwater. Rebecca felt herself dragged through numerous levels of the mansion, passing Star several times in the library. Several times she tried calling out to him, but his movement was so sluggish and slow that he almost looked like a statue in motion.

Rolling her eyes back, Rebecca felt herself slip out of consciousness.

* * *

Star wandered the gloomy halls and corridors, tired and alone. Looking over his shoulder, he gave a sad sigh as he proceeded forward. Stepping back into the main hall, the albino was just about to climb down the stairs when a door opened, causing him to duck and hide behind a section of railing. Peeking down below, Star felt his pulse quicken. He was both overjoyed and horrified all at once, watching as Captain Wesker stepped into the light, his golden hair sparkling like a halo.

"Father," he whispered softly, his chest a beating storm.

Star attentively studied his movements, his posture especially.

_'Such strength and assurance!'_ he marveled.

_This_ was a man, someone who held himself with dignity and who knew what he wanted.

As Wesker stepped into the middle of the hall, a series of moans echoed, causing him to whip around, his back facing the albino. Star watched in horror as several zombies stepped out from the shadows all around the S.T.A.R.S. Captain with their arms outstretched, lumbering stiffly toward him, completely encircling the Alpha like sharks drawn to blood.

_'No, NO! FATHER!'_ Star thought in alarm.

It was finally happening before his eyes! This wasn't a reunion, this was a killing floor!

_I need to get out of here! I need to save Father from Umbrella! I have to get out before it's too-_

Before the youth even had a chance to react, Wesker proceeded to quickly and methodically dispatch the undead, his accuracy and speed unwavering.

Star stared, watching and studying his movements in awe.

The way in which Wesker moved was so fast and efficient - every time he fired, dodged, sidestepped, struck and/or reloaded was so perfectly timed that it was almost like clock work, so perfectly coordinated. There were dozens of enemies, and yet he moved with such grace and precision!

"Incredible!" Star gasped quietly.

He no longer looked like a mere man. To Star, he looked like a warrior, a Greek hero or demigod stepping out from the long forgotten pages of antiquity into the modern world, a son of Zeus!

As he watched, the albino grimaced in pain.

* * *

_He was on the streets of Venice, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder, decaying flesh and strange chemicals. Venetian gothic architecture and buildings loomed around him and the man in grey as they fought through an alley, their targets charging toward them with hungry snarls as they were blown away bit by bit._

_"Goddamn things are everywhere," the man muttered as he took out a moss-covered cadaver with precision. "We need to get to Sunset Bridge and link up with Harry and Amy as soon as possible."_

* * *

Star stirred, crinkling his brows in confusion.

"Harry"? "Amy"? Who-

A gunshot distracted him, cutting him off as he turned back to the scene below. Standing victoriously over the bodies of his enemies, his back turned to Star, Wesker swept his hands through his hair, the lone victor of the battle brushing something off from his black shirt.

"Disgusting creatures."

Star swallowed. So that's what he sounded like!

Rising up from behind the banister, Star opened his mouth to call out when he suddenly paused, drawing back in alarm.

_'Oh my god, Father! I need to get away! I'm putting him in danger! I-'_

Twisting around, the albino reached for the door behind him, then hesitated.

_'Wait a minute,'_ he thought to himself. Looking back to the floor down below, the teenager watched Wesker as he counted up the ammunition within his clip, seemingly not noticing the albino's presence up above as he waited in dreaded anticipation. Once the S.T.A.R.S. Captain finished, he inserted the clip back into his pistol, rolling his shoulders and neck with a crack as he moved to a door beside the exhibition room, leaving Star alone in the main hall.

Star remained where he stood, glancing down at his gloved hands and studied his person.

_'Nothing happened,' _Star thought in wonder. His clothes were slightly stained and cut, but aside from that, nothing else. There were no indications of fresh blood anywhere on him.

_Nothing happened!_

With Wesker so vulnerable, Umbrella could have activated him right then and there...but they didn't. They could have taken advantage of the situation and activated him at any moment during that confrontation, and yet...nothing happened.

_I don't understand. What does this mean?_

The albino looked around in confusion.

This doesn't make any sense. He was so certain about his being Umbrella's weapon. It explained the scars on his body, so why-

It was then that it finally hit him, his eyes widening in realization.

"I'm not under Umbrella's control," he spoke softly. "Father still lives. I'm not under their control."

Umbrella may have created him, but Star's actions were _entirely_ his own!

Upon that realization, he allowed himself to smile.

"Umbrella has no control over me!" Star said in excitement.

Had he been so consumed with fear that he allowed himself to fall under its influence?

Closing his eyes with a sigh, a soft boyish chuckle rumbled through his chest, the albino shaking his head in disbelief and amusement as he wiped his forehead. He'll still need to get himself checked just in case, but the fact that Umbrella didn't control his actions relieved him immensely.

_Thank god._

Exhaling, Star reopened his eyes.

_Well, I guess it's time to make my introduction._

Clearing his throat, Star nervously adjusted his coat, looking himself over to make sure he was somewhat presentable.

"Nice to meet you, Captain. A pleasure to meet you, Captain." He rehearsed to himself, imagining his father before him. Clearing his throat again, Star started over, this time deepening his voice. His scarred eyes narrowed in concentration as he tested the words again, starting a third time, then a fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, modulating his voice over and over and over again until he found the desired result.

"A pleasure to meet you, Captain." Came the flat, velvety baritone.

He tested it repeatedly, then gave a satisfied nod. Taking in a deep shaky breath, Star took one step toward the stairs when he suddenly paused, looking back over his shoulder at the dining room as he thought of Rebecca. Looking back to where Wesker had disappeared, Star shifted uncomfortably in indecision.

_'Go to Father!'_ Part of him urged._ 'You need him! He can help save Rebecca!'_

The albino frowned.

No. He wasn't ready to approach the Captain yet. He feared his reaction. He greatly feared being rejected, and he wasn't ready for that...but that wasn't the main reason. He _needed_ to find Rebecca himself. It was because of him that she was in this mess in the first place. He was not going to let what happened to Officer Sullivan happen to her. Not if he could help it.

Looking to the door next to the exhibition room, Star sadly lowered his eyes.

"...Forgive me, Father," he said softly, "but there is something I must do. I have grievously erred. I'm sorry for being such a coward and for being so selfish, for being such a disgrace. I'm sorry for being what I am, but...I promise you...when we finally meet…..I...I...I promise that I will be worthy of you."

The albino dipped his head down in shame and respect. "Thank you for showing me the way, and please forgive me for what I have done. I-I promise I will make you proud, Father. Please stay alive and safe."

Grabbing his bags, Star gave the door down below one last considerate look, then disappeared back into the shadows.


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Redfield

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Eighteen: Redfield**

Curien fidgeted with his watch, shifting his jaw.

"...Any sign of him?" he pressed.

The subordinate shook his head. "Negative, Lord Curien. He's hard to pin down."

Curien raised his hand to his goateed chin, stroking it thoughtfully as light reflected off his sunglasses.

_'What are you up to?'_ he wondered.

* * *

Chris groaned as he stirred.

"Ugh. What happened?" Sitting up, Redfield felt his forehead hit something. "OW! What-"

Looking up, he found himself in a very dark, tight cramped space lying straight on his back, with no visible light source anywhere. The air smelled dusky and molded.

What the hell?

"Richard?" Chris called. "Richard you there?"

Nobody answered.

"Richard? Joseph? Rebecca? Kid? Anyone hear me?"

Nothing.

Peering around, Chris tried to adjust his eyes, but he couldn't see a damn thing. All that he knew was he was in a tight-fitting space with a surprising amount of openness at the sides.

Where the hell was he?!

Reaching into his pocket, Redfield felt around. "Come on, come on! Please tell me- aha! Gotcha!"

Matches. Taking out the packet, he brought them up to his chest and started to flick. After two failed attempts, the match finally lit up, brightening his surroundings. Rolling onto his stomache, the Alpha Point Man looked carefully around, scanning the area.

Surrounding Chris was a forest of various dusty support beams and spider web-covered joists. There was still enough room for him to crawl through...but not by much.

What Chris couldn't figure out for the life of him, though, was _how the hell did he get stuck underneath the goddamn floor?!_

_'Worry about that later,'_ he thought to himself._ 'Right now, figure out a way to get out of here.'_

"Hello?" he called from beneath the floor. "Can anyone hear me? Jill?"

Someone stomped up top, causing wood to creak and dust to spill onto Chris' face and hair. Shaking his head, Redfield spat and wiped his face, then looked to the floor above him.

"Hey, can you hear me? I'm stuck down here! Can you help get me out?"

The person said nothing.

"Hello?"

Dust spilled onto Chris' clothes as the figure moved away.

"Hey, hey! WAIT! Come back!"

The person continued on, ignoring his pleas.

Chris stared incredulously to the floor above him, then punched it with his fist in frustration.

"Damn it!"

He needed to find a way out of here, but how?!

_'Why not just shoot the floorboard off?'_ Some part of him answered.

Chris blinked, then scoffed.

Of course. Why hadn't he thought of it earlier?

Reaching into his holster, Redfield suddenly froze.

Oh no.

Checking his pockets, he felt around.

Oh no no no no!

Redfield then looked about him in various directions, rechecking his pockets to make sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. Finally, he lay there on his back, staring miserably up at the ceiling in the dark.

His pistol was gone.

"Fuck me," Chris sighed.

* * *

Star tilted his head to the side and listened, his scarred eyes nervously regarding his environment, his hands clenched around the handles of his bags. In retrospect, he should have left the suitcases behind, but with all these creatures running around, he couldn't risk it.

"...Hello?"

Even though his call was low and hushed, it felt loud to the albino. The tiniest utterance of a squeak would have been akin to a roar once it broke the silence.

"Can anyone hear me?"

Nobody answered.

"If anyone can hear me, please, say something!" the teenager pleaded.

He listened and waited, hoping to hear someone's voice or footstep, something to indicate that there was another person around. The mansion offered no solace - the only response Star received was the wind as it howled and whined outside, reminding him of an animal. Looking away, he proceeded anxiously on with suitcases in hand, wondering what awaited him around the corner.

* * *

Chris lay there on his back, trying to figure out his best course of action.

Maybe he could radio someone-

As the thought crossed his mind, he felt around, his heart racing.

It's got to be here somewhere.

Finding nothing once again, Chris lay his head back down onto the floor.

"Damn it."

_This just keeps getting better and better._

Feeling around, Chris suddenly paused. He still had his lucky combat knife.

"Not much, but at least it's better than nothing," he spoke aloud.

Taking it out, Chris studied the small blade with a frown, then looked up to the wooden floor above him. Jabbing the knife upward, the Alpha jerked the weapon from side to side as he tried to pry it loose from the board, then jabbed upward again.

It was then that Chris heard something. Looking around, he squinted his eyes, concentrating.

It sounded like a shuffle.

Rolling onto his stomach, Chris eyed the rest of the floor, moving the burning match around. He waited a couple seconds, listening and waiting, the match's flame dimly lighting the darkness.

_'It's nothing,'_ he tried to assure himself. Just hearing things.

Looking back up to the floor above him, Chris resumed in his work, jabbing the knife into the hard surface of the wood over and over again.

* * *

By the time he had finished, Chris had a pile of shavings resting on his shirt. He had burnt his fingers three or four times and had produced a hole the size of a baseball.

Brushing the shavings off his clothes, Redfield grabbed hold of the wood and started to yank upward, groaning as he tried to pry the wood paneling off.

"Come on!" he said with clenched teeth. "Come on!"

Straining himself, Chris felt his face warm up as he continued to apply force.

"Just a little more," he assured himself. "Just a little JESUS!"

Chris leapt up in fright as he looked down to his feet, bringing up his knees. Raising the match, he stared down his chest, parting his legs.

He could have _sworn_ something had touched him.

Chris waited, his palms greasy, his heart rate thumping loudly in his chest.

He glanced around, then back to his feet again. Moving the match around, Chris watched as shadows danced along the various beams close by, the tiny light discoloring everything in a faint orangish hue, the rest covered in an endless lake of inky blackness.

All around him, he heard creaks, shuffles, squeaks and groaning of wood, all of it mixing with dripping water.

Something shuffled, causing Redfield to seize up in apprehension.

"...Hello?"

Chris tried to speak in a confident and assured manner, "tried" being the operative word. Despite his attempt, it ended up coming out strained, his mouth and throat feeling dry.

It was then that he heard it.

Whispering.

"Who's there?"

The voice continued to whisper, but it was impossible to hear.

"Are you a survivor?"

The whispering continued, this time joined by another voice, then another, and another. It sounded like there were dozens of people whispering all around Chris, and yet...none of them bothered to address him.

What the hell is this?

"Who are you?"

Nobody answered. They just resumed in their hushed conversation, their voices and words indistinguishable and incoherent babble.

"OW!" Chris hissed as he burned his fingers, dropping the match as he waved and blew on his hand. "Damn it."

Taking out another, he was just about to light it when he felt something warm blow directly onto the back of his neck, his form stiffening. Redfield felt his flesh creep.

He remained still as the presence inched closer, his form paralyzed, the knife in his hand quivering unsteadily. Twisting himself, he lunged the moment he detected his attacker's proximity. As he attempted to defend himself, the floor suddenly parted beneath him, causing Chris to plunge down with a yell into something moist. The walls were all fleshy, with several enormous, sharp stalactite-like protrusions at the sides, and hot air was blowing upward from somewhere down below, producing an indescribably awful smell that made his eyes tear up.

_The hell? What is this, a cave-_

Before Chris even had time to react, the walls closed down on him, the "stalactites" grinding and tearing through his body as he screamed in fear and agony. As the mansion continued to feast on his flesh, the Alpha felt his bones snap and crunch between its powerful multilayered teeth. He had expected it all to be over, but death, to Redfield's horror, wasn't the end; on the contrary.

It was merely the prelude.

Once his carcass had been entirely broken down, Chris watched and felt his remains slide through the mansion's walls and floors, _pushed_ by the mansion's "circulatory system", a vast array of desecrated bodies and organs that pulsed and rippled, propelling his consciousness and parts into a vast hidden chamber. On the walls and ceilings were great wads of flesh, some of them possessing human faces. Chris felt every piece of himself incorporated into this horrible mass. Every cell, every drop of blood, every nerve, every piece of bone. With his disembodied eyes, Chris watched everything happening around him, unable to look away as this dreadful vision revealed horror after horror after horror, observing as bone was pressed into bone, sinew into sinew, skin stitched into skin. All around him were countless numbers of bodies, countless numbers of people. Men, women and children of all age and racial groups. Animals, existing and extinct, terrestrial and aquatic, some even downright..._alien_. Mammals. Reptiles. Birds. Insects. An enormous mausoleum constructed from the corpses of the countless fallen.

As Chris passively observed the construction of this "house of the dead", he felt a sudden and curious sensation come over him, a sort of warm, electrical surge or wave. The surge flooded through his being, reconstituting him and taking him apart all at once. It was then that Chris suddenly became aware of a presence. He couldn't see it, nor could he hear it...and yet...he knew it was there. Redfield felt it reach into his mind, indelicately searching and sifting through various parts of his memories, feeling around his brain with callous disregard and contempt. He felt as if he were being incorporated into something much larger and greater than himself, something so unimaginably vast and powerful that its mere conception was staggering. There was so much power that Chris himself felt overwhelmed by it all.

_'What is this?'_ the Alpha wondered in amazement.

Flashes of memories flickered across his mind, some his own, some he didn't recognize, but there was far too much stuff to take in.

_'Almost ready.'_ Chris thought to himself. _'It will only be a matter of time.'_

Puzzled by these thoughts, the Alpha then watched as the nightmarish hellscape was replaced by a blinding white light.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Chris found himself whole again, his uniform in the same state it had been in previously. Lying on the floor in the middle of a hallway, Redfield unsteadily raised himself up.

"GOjrgabegh?" he slurred incomprehensibly.

_'The hell? What's wrong with my voice and speech?'_

"Necbleg?"

Dazedly looking around, the Alpha pushed himself off the floor.

"Llij?" Chris called. "Acceber? Hunugoo."

Staggering, he wandered a few feet ahead, then collapsed back down, the whole world turning black.

* * *

When he opened his eyes again, Redfield found himself lying on a bed, part of him covered with a blanket. Seated beside him was the albino as he looked upon him with concern.

"Hey," the teenager greeted quietly. "How are you feeling, Officer?"

Chris swallowed.

"What happened?" he spoke, his voice feeling dry.

"I...don't really know," the teenager admitted. "When I found you, you were just wandering around with a blank look on your face, gibbering and speaking incomprehensibly. I thought you had a stroke. I'm not too sure, to be honest."

Chris looked around. "Where are the others?"

The youth frowned.

"I had been hoping you could tell me," he replied. "The last time I remember seeing you all was at the library. Do you know what had happened?"

The Alpha Point Man tried thinking back.

"I...remember talking with Joseph and Richard," he said slowly. "After that...I can't really remember much else. I do remember being stuck underneath the floor."

"Under the floor?" the albino said in surprise.

"Yeah."

"You were attacked by that hydra?"

Chris shook his head.

"No...I think?" He recalled the sensations and events in subsequent order, shivering as he recalled getting torn to pieces. "I don't really know."

He looked at the albino. "What happened to Rebecca?"

The teenager shook his head.

"I...I don't know. We were talking and then she just...flew away."

Chris blinked.

"Flew away?! What do you mean she "flew away"?!" he demanded, air-quoting. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "You let that bird thing get her?!"

"No! I swear I didn't!" the albino raised up his hands in assurance. "I had been trying to save her! It was-it was like what had happened with Officer Sullivan - she was just flying off the ground!"

The Alpha stared.

"...What are you trying to say?" he said slowly. "Are you saying that it's that Magician thing?"

"I don't know," the boy replied. "I...think so? I really don't know. When she disappeared, I had called out for help, but none of you were around. You had all disappeared. I had been looking for her when I found you stumbling around."

Raising himself up, Chris was about to draw away the blanket when the albino put his hands on his shoulders.

"Don't," the youth spoke. "You need to rest."

"We don't have time," Chris replied, pushing his hands away. "We need to-" It was then that he became aware of a cool breeze on his legs. Lifting up the blanket, he glanced down. "...Where are my pants?"

The albino squirmed. "When I found you...you had...made a mess of yourself. I...had to..."

He trailed off, making Redfield uncomfortable.

"...So I peed myself?" the latter stated.

Star said nothing else, but his expression was enough of a confirmation for the Alpha. Chris suddenly found the urge to stare at the ceiling, his face flushed.

"...You shouldn't have done that," he said lowly, averting his eyes.

"I didn't really have a choice," the albino insisted. "The smell was too much-"

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN!" Chris yelled, causing the boy to flinch, his face feeling warm with embarrassment and anger. "You had no goddamn right putting your hands on me! I'm a man, you hear me?! A full-grown _man_! I don't need to be changed like some goddamn baby!"

The albino stared to the floor, averting his eyes.

"...I'm...sorry." he said in a small voice.

Chris clenched his jaw shut, looking away.

"...Where are my pants?" Redfield demanded harshly.

"I had to toss them away," the teenager answered, "but-but I did find a replacement pair for you. I got these from a closet Rebecca and I found earlier, but I think they should be your size."

Moving to one of his suitcases, the youth produced a pair of blue jeans, laying them out on Chris' lap.

"Oh! And I had also removed these from your pockets prior to my disposal of the old pair that you...ruined." The albino then reached into his red coat and laid out Chris' wallet and knife on the mattress beside him. "Your boots are just on the floor here."

"Thanks," Chris grunted roughly, averting his eyes. "Now get the fuck out of here."

The albino sighed.

"Officer-"

"Get the hell away from me!"

The hooded figure flinched, then dipped his head down.

"I'm...I'm sorry for embarrassing you, Officer Redfield." he apologized quietly.

Chris said nothing as he stared angrily at the ceiling.

Taking his silence as his cue, the albino turned around to leave, taking his bags with him.

"Don't breathe a word to anyone about this," Chris said lowly.

The teenager remained still, then quietly nodded. He was just about to reach for the door when he froze.

"Oh! I forgot to give this to you." Turning around, he reached into the pocket of his coat and took out a pistol. "I couldn't find your weapon, unfortunately, but you can have mine. It doesn't have much, but it's better than nothing."

Approaching the bed, the youth placed it beside Chris, then quickly turned away.

Chris frowned. "Kid-"

The youth left without saying a word, closing the door behind him.

Staring at the door for a moment, Redfield felt his frown deepen as he turned away, looking back up at the ceiling.

"Nice one, dickhead," he said to himself.

* * *

Star wandered alone, his eyes lowered as he leaned against a wall, listening to his surroundings.

He frowned.

"...I shouldn't have left my pistol with him," Star lamented.

What hell had he been thinking?! What kind of moron does that?!

Banging the back of his hooded head against the wall with a thud, he let out a slew of angry curses.

What made him even remotely think that the police officer was in a good enough state to wield a firearm in the first place?! If he didn't blow his own brains out, it will be a miracle!

"Idiot!" Star snarled as he banged the back of his head against the wall.

And to top it all off, he was now completely defenseless, making his attempt at rescuing Rebecca even more difficult.

"Idiot!"

He wished he had his swords with him. What was he thinking?! Who the hell would wander around in this hellhole without a weapon?!

"Idiot!"

Leaning against the wall, Star took in a deep breath.

"I'm so useless," he said in a low voice, looking miserably down in silence, his scarred eyes focused on the floor.

Sighing, Star then pushed himself away, looking back to the hall where he had left Officer Redfield, conflicted.

Should he...go back?

_'No,'_ part of him thought. _'Officer Redfield can take care of himself.'_

_'But he can't!'_ Another side countered. _'Who knows how long he'll be stable for! For all you know, he's had a stroke.'_

_'That wasn't a stroke.'_

Star froze, startled by the thought.

Wasn't it? It had certain elements _consistent_ with a stroke, but by the same token...it was so...strange. Officer Redfield seemed so strong, fit and healthy, a young man in his twenties. Strokes tend to usually occur for people over sixty-five.

It was then that Star thought about his experience with Rebecca, back when they had been locked together in that room, when she demonstrated that shift in personality.

Star frowned.

What was he thinking? Did he honestly believe there was some sort of connection?

He scoffed. Absolutely ridiculous.

Star then recalled the words Rebecca used.

_"I have been waiting for this moment for some time. Now you shall have a taste of the pain that I had to endure."_

Putting his bags down, Star crossed his arms and held his chin, pondering what she said.

What does that even mean? Had he really caused such misery for Rebecca?

The albino glumly lowered his eyes.

Stupid question.

Since coming here, it almost felt as if he carried with him some bad fortune. And yet, Rebecca made no such indication. In fact, she hadn't seemed to recall anything of that experience, curiously enough.

His face fell as another possibility occurred to him.

Had...had he been imagining things? Was he slowly losing his mind?

_'Even if I am,'_ he thought determinedly, _'I will not let that stop me from doing what is right.'_

_'But what is right?'_ the other part of him countered._ 'Is it right to leave a vulnerable man alone to pursue a selfish desire? To pursue a romance that in all likelihood won't ever be reciprocated?!'_

He sighed sadly, picking up his bags again. Rebecca was right - he _was_ selfish.

But at least he had enough sense to realize he can't do this on his own.

* * *

Several minutes later, Chris stepped outside.

"Kid?" he called. He cast his eyes around the stairs, then the hallway. "Kid?"

The albino was gone. Chris sighed, regretting his words and tone.

He shouldn't have taken his frustration out on the kid like that. It was obvious he had only been trying to help.

Redfield shook his head.

"If my sister were here she'd give me a good kick in the ass," he said to himself.

Hell, if _Wesker_ were here, he'd probably shoot him, _then_ give him a good kick in the ass for good measure.

Exhaling, Redfield let his shoulders sag.

"Is something wrong?"

"GAH!" Chris leapt up, startled as he noticed the albino climbing down the stairs. "Jesus, you scared me!"

"My apologies." the teenager said, stepping off the last step.

Chris sighed, brushing it off. "Ah, never mind."

The hooded youth then gave him a concerned look.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better."

"No dizzy spells?"

"No, no. Things are cool."

"Oh. That's good."

The two awkwardly regarded each other.

Redfield cleared his throat, "Look, uh...about what happened...I was out of line."

The youth shook his head.

"You don't have to apologise-"

"No, no, I do," Chris affirmed. "I was really unfair to you, so, uh...sorry." He then added under his breath, "And thanks."

Chris watched as the youth gave him a considerate look, then followed it up with a silent nod.

Clearing his throat, the Alpha raised up the pistol.

"Right. Now that's settled, let's see if we can find the others."

* * *

Wood-paneled floors creaked beneath the survivors' footfalls as they navigated through the various rooms and corridors. It was a continuous and repetitive cycle of walking, listening and rummaging through shelves and chests for supplies, though occasionally the monotony of it would be broken up by the odd encounter here and there. At first, Chris went through the various parts of the mansion guns blazing, but as the survivors' supplies began to dwindle, they were then forced to rethink their strategy altogether, carefully managing their supplies and better organizing themselves. Whatever confidence the duo felt at increased numbers began to wane with each wasted bullet. A lot of the time the creatures just wouldn't die. For the most part, however, the duo would deliberately avoid any sort of confrontation, often sneaking or running around said-creatures if they were either too slow or incapacitated. Chris found some use in having the albino distract the creatures, although there were times in which it would backfire, which would then cause the duo to flee as quickly as possible.

Peeking around a corner, Redfield watched a zombie shuffle along, its foot steps crashing down.

"You're up, kid." he whispered.

The albino leaned forward.

"HELLO!" Came the voice down the hall.

Chris watched as the zombie raised its head in its direction, then proceeded toward it, moving away from them.

_'Jesus, this kid is something else!'_ Chris marvelled as he and the youth took the opportunity to sneak past.

How on earth was he able to do that? It was so...uncanny. He couldn't believe it. Redfield was _especially_ impressed with the kid's ability to perfectly control his facial muscles while he performed; in fact, he was so focused on the teenager's face that he himself had wanted to see if he can catch some hint of a twitch, some form of movement.

Nothing.

_Unbelievable._

The more Chris observed the albino, the more curious he became. Even though he didn't spot any sort of _obvious_ resemblance to Captain Wesker, the Alpha Point Man had to admit that the albino's facial control _kind of_ reminded him of the blonde to an extent.

_'Figures that would be something passed on from father to son,'_ Chris thought to himself.

He frowned. Jesus, Wesker as a father - what a bizarre idea!

It almost made him wonder who the lucky woman had been, but Chris stopped himself from doing so for the sake of his sanity.

As the two survivors navigated through the west wing, curiosity got the better of him.

"So," Chris began once they were a safe distance away and completely alone, "you're Wesker's kid."

The albino nodded.

"Yes. Well, I _believe_ I am."

The two awkwardly wandered on, saying nothing.

"...You like sports?" Chris started.

"Not particularly. You?"

"Yeah I like the odd game of football."

The duo continued on, uncomfortably quiet. The Alpha cleared his voice. "...Ever shot a gun before?"

"Not until yesterday night."

"That right?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

Redfield squirmed, then looked at the teenager's eyes. Christ almighty, they're freaky-looking!

"...Is there a name for your condition?"

"'Cat's Eye Syndrome.'"

Chris blinked.

"'Cat's Eye Syndrome'?" he repeated. "Are you serious?"

"I am," the albino nodded.

"Is this a new type of condition?"

"Not at all. The abnormalities common for it were first catalogued in 1899, although it was described in connection with a small marker chromosome in 1965."

Chris blinked. "Huh. I had no idea."

Who'd have thought?

The two fell back into silence.

"...Sooo," Chris said awkwardly, "your name is 'Star'."

"It is," the albino nodded, looking at him suspiciously. "Why?"

The Alpha raised his hands defensively.

"Nothing! I was just wondering, that's all. Just out of curiosity, which do you prefer to be called, "Jack" or "Star"?"

"Star."

"Then why did you pick "Jack" as your legal name?"

"Long story."

Just as much of a conversationalist as his old man. Like father like son. Chris shrugged. "Okay, then. So..."Star Wesker", it is."

The two paused. Chris watched as the albino raised his eyes thoughtfully, considering the name.

"...Star Wesker," the youth said softly, testing it. "...That's a very odd name to have."

Redfield chuckled in agreement.

The albino looked up at him curiously.

"Out of curiosity...what is my father like?"

Chris considered the question.

"He's quiet," he answered. "Tends to keep to himself. When I first met Wesker- ah, your father, I kind of thought that he was a stuck-up jerk. He's tough, but...he really is a nice guy. If it weren't for him and Barry, I wouldn't have gotten into S.T.A.R.S. in the first place."

He squirmed. "I'm not an easy guy to get along with, and god knows I'm pretty sure that there have been plenty of occasions where the Captain felt like strangling me...but he respected me." Redfield then added in a low voice, "He...he saved my life."

The teenager looked at him in surprise.

"Did he?"

"Yeah!" Chris nodded. "We were doing a sweep of some rundown buildings during a drugs bust. I had gotten separated from the others while chasing down a suspect and part of the roof came down on top of me, pinning me there for five or six hours."

"That sounds terrifying!"

"It was. Being stuck on some dirty floor with rats crawling everywhere and sounds coming from every direction at once...I was worried that no one would ever find me. I was practically screaming for help at that point - that's how scared I was at the time! I was so sure that I was going to die down there. If it hadn't been for the Captain, I wouldn't be here today."

He paused. "Since then, I've...looked up to him, and have tried to better myself because of him."

Looking at the teenager, Chris watched with surprise as the albino's eyes lit up with admiration.

"He sounds like a good man."

Chris smiled. "He is. There aren't a lot of commanding officers I respect, but Wesker? I'd follow him to the ends of the earth."

As the pair continued on, the boy spoke, "Since your rescue, have you...bettered yourself?"

The Alpha thought about it for a moment, then shrugged.

"I..._like_ to think so," he said uncertainly. "I mean, I'm not a priest or anything, but I think I have improved. I'm still human, though."

Chris watched as the youth considered his words.

"...Have you ever felt...uncertain...about your actions?"

"All the time, but then again, who hasn't? It's just a fact of life, kid."

"Has there ever been a moment where you...questioned your own decisions?"

Chris scoffed.

"All the time," he answered. "Tonight especially. I can't help wondering if I should have called in sick."

The albino chuckled.

"Sorry. Stupid question."

The Point Man shrugged.

"No worries."

The albino turned to face him.

"Has he...ever made mention of family or his eyes?"

Chris frowned.

"No. Sorry, kid," he replied. "Wesker is pretty tight-lipped about that kind of thing."

Redfield watched as the violet reptilian eyes lowered contemplatively, repressing the urge to shiver.

God, if _that_ was what Wesker had hidden behind his sunglasses, then it's no wonder why he wore them constantly - they were so creepy!

Feeling a little guilty for the thought, Chris opened his mouth to say something, then frowned.

"...I'm...sorry for punching you in the face earlier." he muttered.

Star shrugged. "You were only doing your job."

"And...I'm sorry about Joseph." Chris added. "What he did was completely out of line."

The albino shook his head.

"It's fine."

He watched the figure in red shift in discomfort, then tried to think of what else to say.

"...So...got any siblings?"

"I wouldn't know." Came the reply.

"Hm." He then glanced over at the youth, giving a sly teasing smile. "Tell me. You and Rebecca..."

The albino halted.

"Rebecca and I what?" he said, speaking guardedly.

"Come on, kid, be straight with me," Chris teased. "You fancy her?"

The albino's eyes drooped as he hung his head low, his shoulders sagging.

Chris blinked, confused by the reaction.

"Hey, what's wrong? I was only kid-" It was then that it hit him. "...Do you?"

The albino remained silent.

"...You really _do_ fancy her!" Redfield said in surprise.

The youth in red exhaled.

"...Was it worth the laugh?" he asked flatly.

"I swear I was just joking!"

"Yes, because the idea of someone such as myself being in love with the likes of her is so _funny_. Why not, it's so ridiculous! Who can possibly expect much from a freak?" Came the embittered response, his tone dripping acidly. "Because god knows, it's not as if those feelings will ever be reciprocated."

"Whoa! Hold up! I didn't say that-"

"You've all but implied it." Before Chris could even put a word in, he watched as the violet eyes softened, looking down in shame. "Look, I realize that my chances of winning her heart are nil. I accept that. I know what I look like. I'm not blind. I have no illusions about my chances. So, go ahead and make fun of me - use every demeaning word you want to your heart's content. I'm used to it already. Just...don't do that to Rebecca. Don't make her into a laughingstock and embarrass her. She...she deserves better. Please."

Shaking his head with a sigh, the older man faced the albino, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Look," he began, "for the record, _that_ wasn't what I meant or intended. I was just trying to lighten the mood, but that ended up backfiring, so...sorry for the misunderstanding."

* * *

The albino was still for a moment, his hood concealing his face as the older man removed his hand.

"I'm...sorry, Officer. My apologies, I've overreacted. I'm just...this experience is getting to me."

The officer remained quiet.

Star then sighed.

"...Tell me, Officer...do you believe it...wrong for me to feel such things?"

He waited for a response.

Looking up, Star blinked, then glanced around in confusion upon finding the older man gone.

"Officer Redfield?"

What the hell? He had been standing here a second ago.

Where had he gone?

"Officer Redfield?" Star then raised his radio, flicking through the various channels as he called. "Officer Redfield?"

"Chris here. Over." the radio crackled, causing the albino let out a sigh of relief. "Everything okay?"

Star opened his mouth to respond...only to pause.

"Hello?"

The albino listened as Officer Redfield's voice repeated over the radio. It sounded...odd. Like a cheap imitation of the real thing. It reminded him of old, badly dubbed Japanese movies he used to watch as a kid.

Star raised the radio. "Star here. Where are you?"

"I'm at the library," Redfield replied.

Star stared, rearing his head back in confusion. The hell?

"The library?" he repeated.

"Yes."

"But...how? You and I were just talking face to face just seconds ago."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Came the reply, the tone oddly flat. "I've never left here."

The albino looked around, startled.

"...Are...are you sure?"

"Yes. Why? What happened?"

How was this possible?

"Nuh….nothing," he said in a strained voice. "My mistake."

"Come back to the library. Rebecca has been worried about you."

Star hesitated. "...Rebecca...is with you?"

"Yes. Come on back. We're all here waiting for you."

Something wasn't right.

"...Can I talk to her?"

The voice huffed in irritation.

"You can talk to her when you get here. Don't make us wait," he said impatiently.

"Okay, okay! I'll meet you there."

"Roger. Out."

Lowering the radio, Star cast his eyes around in suspicion.

What the hell was going on around here?

* * *

Chris looked around the hallway in confusion.

"Kid?" he called.

Where did he go?

Hearing his radio go off, Chris raised it up.

"Chris here."

"Chris! Thank god!"

He hesitated. "Jill?"

"We need to talk. Meet me at the dining hall."

"Everything okay?"

No answer.

"Jill?" Chris spoke into the radio. "Jill, can you hear me? Jill?"

He growled. "Stupid piece of junk."

Putting it away, Redfield glanced around the hallway.

"I hope the kid's alright..." Looking back to where he came from, Chris sighed wearily. "Well, back to the dining room I go again."


	20. Chapter Nineteen: Eye of the Tiger

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Nineteen: Eye of the Tiger**

Richard winced at the bright light that flashed in his eyes. Shielding them with a raised hand, he let out a groan as he sat up and massaged his temples.

"God, my head! What the hell was that?!" the Bravo muttered aloud.

Opening his eyes, Aiken found himself in a tight-fitting room with a pair of hanging candleholders and a large stone tiger bust that stared down at him.

"Wh- How the hell did I get here?!"

Hearing his radio go off, Aiken looked down in surprise.

"...Hello?" he called uncertainly into the speaker.

"You are awake, I see. Good."

"You again," Aiken shifted, his body tense and alert as he looked around. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Fear not, Richard," the voice said from the other end. "Look to the statue. I left you something."

"What is it?"

"The statue, Richard. Look. To. The. Statue."

Pushing himself off the floor, Aiken complied. At the base of the statue was a perfectly cut blue gemstone. Picking it up, Aiken studied it.

"Oookayyyy…." he said expectantly, "...now what?"

"Surely it's obvious to you, Richard?" The voice snidely remarked.

Aiken narrowed his eyes. "Listen, asshole-"

"Do you see anything wrong with the statue?" the voice interrupted.

Opening his mouth to answer, Aiken paused. The eyes sockets were empty. At the base of statue was an inscription that said "Some tigers have a red eye and a blue eye." Glancing down questioningly at the gem, he looked back to the sculpture.

"From the silence on your end, it seems that it finally clicked, hasn't it?"

The Bravo repressed the urge to make a retort.

Fucking jerk.

Raising a hand, he inserted the blue gem into a socket, then watched as the whole thing spun to the left, revealing a Colt Python handgun with a box of .357 Magnum ammunition and an octagonal crest. Taking the latter, he studied the strange coin-like item. Carved onto its side was a stylized face representing what appeared a blowing sky or cloud. Shrugging, Aiken pocketed it, then turned all of his attention to the weapon. Picking it up, Aiken studied the Colt Python, checking its condition as he opened the cylinder, staring down the barrel. Giving a satisfied nod, he then loaded in some fresh rounds, the Bravo sighing with relief as he raised his radio.

"I got your 'present'," Aiken spoke, snapping the weapon closed. "So what do you want me to do now?"

* * *

Star looked left, then right, staring down the mirror-filled corridor.

Was he going in circles?

He could have sworn he had already passed through this corridor already.

Letting out a tired sigh, Star shook his head. All the rooms were beginning to look the same. Just as he was about to continue on, the albino then paused at the sight of a door.

How could he have missed that?

_'Whatever,'_ the albino thought as he approached. Grabbing the handle, he pushed the door open, then stepped forward. He barely had any time to register the sudden drop until it was too late, letting out a loud, startled yell as he fell three feet down onto his back. Wincing, the albino felt pain flair through his body as he writhed on the ground.

"Owwww. Damn it," Star swore.

Sitting up, the albino massaged the sore and sensitive parts on his back, rear and upper arms. As the pain slowly faded, Star turned his head to look at his surroundings, then froze.

"What the?"

The room was a large and very spacious area with a white floor and a chandelier in the middle, but...why was it upside down and chained to the floor?

Pushing himself off from the floor, Star approached it curiously, looking at the chandelier from top to bottom.

Tilting his head from side to side, the albino then circled around it.

_'What a strange piece,'_ Star thought.

Reaching out, the teenager poked the upside down chandelier, then watched as it swayed from side to side. Touching the chain, he was surprised to see it yield under his grip like a balloon yanked down on a string. Letting go, he watched as the chandelier suddenly reverted back to normal, the chain straightening.

Star scoffed. "Spencer has some really strange tastes."

Raising his eyes up to the ceiling, he then suddenly leapt back in surprise, nearly shouting an exclamation as he stared incredulously at the sight; straight above him was a perfect recreation of the main hall entrance complete with tripods and checkered floors! Even the bloody stairs were up there!

"What the hell?!" Star gaped.

To see such attention to detail...it didn't really make sense.

What was Spencer's purpose in having this room built? What could he gain from-

_Wait...the flames on the tripods..._

Even though everything was upside down, the flames were moving and flickering straight at him, but...that was impossible. Fire, he recalled, had less density than the surrounding cooler air, which was why when lit it would point upward to the sky. And yet, what Star was seeing here completely defied logic. Why would it be pointing to the floor than curve upward? How was it possible for Spencer and Trevor to-

Star's reflections were cut off as one of the side doors opened up above, then stared in shock as Officer Redfield wandered along the ceiling, casting his eyes around.

"Hello?" he called.

Staring up with uncomprehending and overwhelmed eyes, the albino trembled, his lips quivering as he struggled to respond. His mind reeling, he stumbled backward and fell onto his rear, crawling toward the wall behind him, staring up at Redfield as he walked around up above, a scream building at the back of the albino's throat.

Star watched in horror as Redfield called, the teenager shaking at the insane sight.

"Jill? Rebecca? Kid? Where are you?"

Upon hearing the Alpha's voice, Star screamed.

Letting out a surprised yell, Redfield then looked straight at the albino, his eyes widening in shock.

"Star?! What the hell are you doing up there?!"

"What do you mean what _I'm_ doing up _here_?! What are _you_ doing up _there_?!" Star responded.

"Wha- I don't know what you're talking abBAAAAAHHHH!"

The Alpha suddenly plunged down, his form crashing down right in front of the teenager with a sickening crunch, the youth recoiling as Redfield's neck snapped at an awkward angle, his head cracking open like a melon. The albino felt something warm hit his cheek as he watched Redfield's blood and brains spill across the floor.

_'It's not real,'_ he thought to himself as he looked away and closed his eyes. It's not real.

**_Oh, how you would love to believe that, wouldn't you?_**

Star jerked up, startled.

"Who said that?!" he demanded. "Who's there?!"

Something snapped. At first, Star had believed it to be his sanity, but as the noise continued, he found himself looking back to Redfield's corpse as it raised its broken neck and smashed-in head. Blood and brains oozed from the wound, the eyes crying bloody tears while red liquid and saliva seeped out from the mouth as an ugly smile started to form.

Star pushed himself against the wall, pressing himself into a tight ball as he whimpered, the insane vision letting out an awful gurgling laugh.

"What's the matter, little Star?" Redfield sneered in a gurgling voice, his teeth falling out. "It's not as if you haven't seen blood before!"

Star raised his hands to his ears, trying to block out the sight and sound as the dead man chuckled.

"It's in your head," Star whispered to himself. "It's all in your head."

"Yes, it is!" The voice gleefully agreed, the sound making the albino physically ill the more he listened. "Why don't you do something about it, little one?"

Star shook, closing his eyes as tight as possible, turning away from "Redfield". From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of crimson teeth flashing in a repulsive, broken and bloody vampiric grin.

"Poor little Star, all alone with nobody to protect him." The crimson-stained mouth taunted.

"It's not real," Star whispered. "It's not-"

The albino jerked with a yell as Redfield suddenly grabbed hold of him, his yells turning into screams as the Alpha held him by the shoulders, grinning a demented bloody smile. Mucus oozed from his nostrils in thick greenish globs, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

Star struggled beneath the man's grip, pushing and clawing at his arms and chest, screaming all the while. Reaching up, he clawed at Redfield's face, then watched in horror as his flesh tore easily away to reveal a bloody skull.

"Pray for death."

With those last three words, Redfield shuddered violently, his skin suddenly starting to _peel itself off_ bit by bit, coiling in long snake-like strings up into the air, disappearing through a door as Star shrieked at the top of his lungs. Once the skin was off, the tendons, ligaments and various other muscles followed, leaving a bloody yet clothed skeleton that collapsed onto the screaming youth.

Pushing the bones onto the side, the albino scrambled, running around screaming.

"HELP ME!" he screamed shrilly. "SOMEBODY HELP ME! PLEASE HELP ME!"

Something else snapped this time. It began with the upside down stairs. Parts of it were cracking. Pieces of the bannister fell around the albino, followed by the tiles, then parts of the wall. Wallpaper swelled, forming grotesque abscess-like bubbles that popped open, flaking off like dead skin. As the floating chandelier crashed down with a clatter, everything else started to fall apart, causing the youth to cower and whimper fearfully. Once the walls and ceiling were gone, Star suddenly felt the floor beneath him give way, causing him to plummet screaming through the vast shadows that extended to infinity down below.

* * *

Jerking up with a start, Star looked around wildly, his eyes wide with fright. He was on the floor of the library.

Closing his eyes with a shaky exhalation, Star tried to swallow, but stopped, his stomach feeling as if it were being squeezed from the inside. Wrapping his arms around his midsection, he rocked himself back and forth, shivering at that...memory.

God, what on earth was that?!

He took deep, slow breaths, keeping his eyes closed. Once he got himself under control, Star opened his eyes, then took in his surroundings.

_'How did I get here?'_ he wondered as he got back onto his feet.

The last thing he remembered was being in a hallway somewhere, and as far as he was aware, he hadn't been anywhere remotely _near_ the library. So how-?

Star tilted his head. "...Rebecca?"

The library remained quiet.

"Officer Aiken? Officer Frost? Officer Red-"

He halted himself from mentioning the latter, the memory of that...incident coming back with such vividness that it caused the teenager to shudder.

God, that was awful! He remembered the sound of his voice. And that smell!

_'Don't even think about it,'_ he thought to himself. _'Focus on other-'_

Star's eyes rolled upward as he stumbled and grabbed onto a nearby shelf for support.

* * *

_He was doubled over a garbage can, retching loudly._

_"Jesus, you alright, kid?" the man in grey said with a mixture of concern and disgust._

_Turning to say something, he opened his mouth to respond when he caught sight of the giant body that lay on the street a few feet away. A massive headless golem with spiked shoulders, it was a loathsome thing made from car parts, corpses and rats. Its master, a decomposing winged child, lay close by. As his eyes fell upon their oozing, bullet-riddled forms, he then averted his attention back to the garbage and threw up once more._

_"Rough stuff, for sure," the man said sympathetically. "My first day I was the same way. Puked my guts out until I had nothing left."_

_Wiping his mouth with a napkin taken from his coat pocket, he remained near the garbage can, refusing to move._

_"How are you not affected by any of this?" He asked, his body shivering._

_The man in grey shrugged. "I learned to shut myself off ages ago. It helps me sleep at night." He then gave a sympathetic nod. "__It gets easier as time goes by, kid."_

_Staring into the garbage can, he shook his head slowly._

_"I don't think I'll ever get used to this, James," he shuddered. "This is so...inhuman! I mean, Jesus, that was a ten-year-old kid!"_

_"Was a ten-year-old kid, rookie." James corrected. He could tell from his tone that the more experienced man had a frown on his face. Hell, he could practically feel James staring at him. "You hesitated."_

_He sighed. __"I did."_

_"I thought you were a cop."_

_"I was, but that doesn't mean I shoot kids-"_

_"You knew what you were getting yourself into when you joined the AMS, remember?"_

_"I know that, but-"_

_"But nothing," James said sharply. "There is no room for either sympathy or error in the mission. If you hesitate, people die. Do I have to worry about you, rookie? Is this going to be a problem?"_

_He sighed. _

_"No, sir." It was all that he could say._

_James was quiet for a moment._

_"Good," the man in grey said coolly. _

_Turning to face him, he looked down with a guilty expression. "I'm-I'm sorry, James. It won't-it won't happen again." _

_"It better not." Came the reply. _

_"Still doesn't mean I have to like it." He added under his breath._

_The man in grey checked his watch._

_"It's getting late. We need to leave before more of this spreads across the damn country. Come on!"_

_Wiping his mouth, he then got out his comb and brushed his hair. What a first day this has been so far!_

* * *

Star massaged his eyes and head.

"I'm losing my mind," he said to himself.

He needed to find Rebecca and the others - time was running out. Perhaps he wasn't free from Umbrella after all. He was wrong to have assumed such. After all, what certainty was there? Perhaps there was a time limit before all free will ceased to be his altogether.

_'I must find Rebecca and Father and get them to safety.'_

Just as the albino was about to leave, he paused.

_'...Wait...where are my bags?'_ he wondered.

_'You can worry about it later,'_ he thought to himself. Right now he needed to find the others before it was too late.

Raising a hand to his coat, he felt around his pockets, then froze, wincing.

How could he have forgotten? Officer Redfield had his weapon, leaving him back to square one.

"Well isn't this dandy," the albino remarked sourly.

What was he supposed to do now?

Exhaling miserably, the albino glanced around the library, then stopped - just six feet ahead of him on the floor was a pistol. Looking confusedly around, Star turned back to the weapon.

He could have _sworn _that _that _hadn't been there.

Moving toward it, Star picked up the weapon and checked it, frowning at the empty chamber.

_'Great, now I have a weapon, but where am I going to find-'_

He cut himself off as he caught sight of a single bullet on the floor, pointing up.

"What the hell?" Star murmured.

Snatching the bullet, he inserted it into the clip, then looked around again, then froze at the small line of bullets leading toward the door.

_'Okay, I know those hadn't been there before.'_

He looked around suspiciously.

"...Hello?"

Star checked around the shelves, then looked up at the second level. Finding nothing, he turned his scarred eyes back to the bullet trail.

Alarms blared in the albino's mind, warning him against following the trail...and yet he followed just the same, loading in his clip as he went along. Once he finished reloading, Star cocked his pistol, then grabbed for the door.

* * *

Stepping out of the library, he proceeded down the tight-fitting corridor, moving past the raised flooring, stopping as something brushed past him, causing him to stumble slightly.

"Wha-?"

Hearing stone scraping loudly somewhere behind, Star turned around to see the piece of flooring sinking down, the key gone. Walls closed in all around him, a statue sliding in with a bang. Turning back to the front, he watched in horror as another knight statue with a spinning bladed shield rolled along the track toward him.

Star's eyes widened as he backed away. Panicking, he spun around, pounding at the walls and on the statue behind him.

"HELP! HELP!" Star screamed. "HELP ME! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

The statue rolled toward him, the bladed spiked shield spinning rapidly.

Raising his pistol, Star fired, shooting five rounds, but no matter the angle or spot hit, the statue continued on.

Turning away, Star pounded and clawed along the walls frantically.

"HELP ME! HELP ME! SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! PLEASE! HELP!"

Looking back with frightened eyes, he watched as the statue drew nearer. Any moment now he was going to be crushed. Recoiling, Star drew up his arms and screamed, bracing himself for the inevitable as he held his eyes shut. The albino felt the room shake, his form trembling as he heard and felt the whirling blades. The room shook again, and again, and again, until suddenly Star heard a loud crash that made him look up, only to regret doing so. Standing before him was the armored gas masked golem, its huge hand holding the torn and crumpled remains of the statue, exposing damaged wires, the blade ceasing to function. Scrambling backwards into a corner, Star stared up fearfully as the creature carelessly threw aside the broken statue with a crash, lumbering toward him.

Raising his arms, Star screamed as it grabbed hold of him and lifted him effortlessly into the air. Struggling in its grip, the albino punched at its arm and at its head, but it took no notice.

Holding him up into the light, the creature studied him, its red lensed eyes showing no indications of its intentions. Something rolled along the ground. Before either had a chance to see what it was, Star saw a bright flash and a loud bang, causing his ears to ring. Letting out strangled cries, the albino felt the armored giant let go of him, dropping him onto the floor. Crawling away, he pushed himself up, stumbling around. He heard a murmur, but he couldn't hear the words being spouted, nor could he see - all that he saw was a white light. Flinching as he felt a pair of hands touch his arm, he felt himself being pulled in a particular direction. All Star could do was follow blindly along until he tripped and fell. The last thing he remembered as the back of his head hit the floor was a sharp pain, then darkness.

* * *

When he awoke, Star found himself on a bed. Standing over him was Officer Valentine.

"Hey," she said softly. "You okay?"

Star swallowed. "Where...where am I?"

"We're back at the west storeroom," she answered. "How are you feeling?"

He groaned, massaging his head. "My head is killing me."

"You took a pretty nasty fall," Valentine nodded. "No cuts or any sign of bleeding, but there is a slight bump."

She looked at him questioningly. "Where is everyone?"

He shook his head slowly.

"I...I don't know." he replied. "We were all at the library. I was with Rebecca when some invisible force...took her."

Valentine blinked. "Invisible force?"

He shrugged.

"I don't know anything more than that. I think it also took the others as well, just because when I returned back to the library seconds later they were all gone, although I did encounter Officer Redfield before he disappeared again."

He rose up from the bed only to feel her hands on his shoulders.

"Easy. You need to rest."

"But I-I can't!" Star insisted. "I need to help Rebecca, Father and the others!"

"We will, but right now you're in no condition to move."

"To hell with my condition!" he retorted, sitting himself up. As he attempted to get up from the bed, he stumbled, causing Valentine to grab hold of him.

"Look, I know you want to help find them, but you need to stay here. Just take some time to recover, okay? I'll go look for them," she assured. "If you need anything or if you just want to talk, my radio channel is on two."

Settling back onto the bed, Star sighed in resignation.

"Okay."

Giving him a nod and assured smile, Valentine patted him on the shoulder.

"Everything will be okay." she assured. "We'll find them."

As she turned around to leave, Star spoke.

"Thank you, Officer Valentine."

She smiled.

"Call me Jill."

With that, she left, leaving the albino alone. Looking to the ceiling, Star let out a sad sigh.

So much for proving himself.

* * *

When Rebecca awoke, she felt cold. Opening her eyes, she found herself lying on the muddy and leaf-covered earth floor, her clothes stained with dirt.

"What happened?" she murmured softly. "Where am I?"

The last thing Rebecca remembered was talking with Star in the corridor, but...the rest was such a blur.

_'God, the others must be worried,'_ she thought as she felt around for her radio, pausing when she noticed its absence.

Her heart stopped.

"Oh no."

Looking frantically around, Rebecca checked her pockets, then took off her backpack.

"Where is it? Where is it?!" she said to herself.

Once she finished, Rebecca sat there on the ground, raising her hand to her mouth in alarm.

Her radio was gone. She was out in the middle of the woods with no way of getting in touch with anyone.

Rebecca did everything possible not to cry; it took every ounce of willpower she had not too. God knew, she _really_ wanted to.

Closing her eyes, she took in deep, slow breaths.

A few seconds later, she reopened her eyes again, taking in her surroundings as she pushed herself off the ground. Dark trees loomed before her. Up above, the moon peeked from behind thick clouds like a massive eye, watching her. Looking around, Rebecca saw a picket fence and a cabin with a lit lamp behind her.

"Hello?" she called uncertainly.

Nobody answered.

Approaching the door, Rebecca pulled it open and stepped inside. Greeting her was a dark and dusty L-shaped corridor, the place covered in spider webs.

"...Hello?" she called again.

Moving toward the end of the corridor, Rebecca heard a crackling, then peeked into the next room, where she saw a lit fireplace near the doorway. Approaching it, she raised her hands and basked in its warmth, rubbing and blowing on her arms and hands, her whole form shivering.

God, how long had she been outside for?

She waited several minutes until she felt somewhat better, then looked to her left and did a double-take.

"Wha?"

On the wall were a number of bandages that had been hung up, each of them marked with brown stains. Approaching them curiously, Rebecca studied them, eying the stains themselves.

Blood.

Rebecca cast her eyes around.

"Is someone there?" she called.

She waited for an answer.

"My name is Rebecca Chambers," she spoke again. "I'm a police officer, a medic for S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team. You don't have to be afraid."

The hearth crackled and popped, embers dancing.

"Are you hurt? If you are, please, let me help you. You don't have to be afraid. My team are here to rescue you."

When no answer came, Rebecca sighed.

"Looks like I'm on my own."

Turning to the left, she climbed up a small set of stairs, pausing as she saw a map on the wall. Pulling it off, Rebecca studied it curiously.

So she was still at the damn mansion after all; she was just somewhere in the courtyard.

But how?

It was then that the memory came back to her. She remembered a mysterious force pushing and dragging her away. She remembered Star reaching out and holding onto her, screaming for help as they were both being dragged at the same time.

She also remembered the..._thing_ that loomed behind the albino, sneering down at them both with its pale eyes.

Rebecca shuddered.

God!

She looked worriedly around. Was it still here with her?

Rebecca hoped not.

Reaching into her holster, the medic drew out her pistol, tilting her head to the side as she listened. Looking to the doorway at the left, she crept through, letting out a cough as she covered her nose. Inside was a small bedroom with a tiny crude bed in the near left hand corner, a cobweb-covered desk in the corner that had a lit lamp, and an open barrel or garbage can that sat in the far right hand corner beside an open doorway, what she presumed to be (although she desperately _hoped_ it wasn't) the cabin's toilet.

Turning to the latter, Rebecca approached, then paused, picking up an old, wrecked black and white photo.

It depicted three people, what seemed to be a family seated on a couch - a father, a mother, and a daughter.

The first figure wore a buttoned up shirt with black dress pants, but the father's face had been torn.

The mother's smiling face was partially damaged, but from what Rebecca could see, she had been an attractive woman with an aquiline nose, a short bob cut, a dark blazer and white blouse with a black skirt.

Sitting between both parents, clinging tightly to the woman was a smiling girl. At the corner were the words "My dearest Lisa." Seeing the picture, Rebecca felt tears well up in the corner of her eyes as she thought of her own mother back home.

_'Momma...'_

Wiping her eyes, she shook her head sadly, staring at the photo.

_'My dearest Lisa.'_

Rebecca paused.

Lisa...where had she heard that name before?

Something about that name stuck out to her, but...she couldn't quite place it.

It was then it came back to her. Shrugging off her backpack, Rebecca took out George Trevor's journal, flipping quickly through the pages before finally stopping on the lines she had been searching for.

_'It doesn't matter now. It's too dangerous here. My family... I hope they are all right._

_I've decided to escape... Jessica, Lisa, I pray you are safe.'_

Closing the journal, she pocketed the items, looking around.

Could it be possible...that Lisa Trevor was still alive?


	21. Chapter Twenty: Ghosts

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Twenty: Ghosts**

Wesker pushed up his sunglasses, giving an annoyed scowl as he typed into the keyboard.

"Come on, come on," he muttered impatiently. This had better work this time. His plans hinged on the system working again, and if he can't get access...

ERROR.

He slammed his fist on the keyboard.

"Damn!" he growled.

At this rate he'll never be able to record the data. He had tried accessing the security terminals, but no matter what monitor or override code he used, Wesker still had problems. None of the security cameras in the facility were working, which spelt disaster for his plans. Letting out an angry snarl, he took in a deep breath, then exhaled.

Once his mind cleared, Wesker placed both hands together, resting his chin on his thumbs as he assessed the situation. The facility had a top of the line and impenetrable system, making it extremely unlikely for anyone to have hacked it. None of the S.T.A.R.S. members had such knowledge, that Wesker was certain of, and yet, all evidence pointed to some outside influence.

He tilted his head contemplatively.

...Could Spencer have known about his plans?

He had been certain that he had been careful, but the old man was about as straightforward as a dog's hind leg. It was near impossible to ascertain his intentions - a lot of the time he liked to play things close to the chest. Then again, nothing about Spencer's actions made sense to Wesker; the whole point of producing a bioweapon was so that it would be done as inexpensively as possible. And yet, Spencer insisted on pouring vast amounts of money into the various R&D projects under Umbrella's wing.

_'Perhaps the old man had gone senile, as William had suggested.'_ Came the thought.

The lights and monitors flickered, then shut down, leaving him in darkness.

Wesker pressed the on/off switch several times, then huffed in irritation.

"What now?"

* * *

The cabin shutters slammed into their frames, causing Rebecca to leap up with a start.

Relaxing a little, the medic sighed.

The damn place was getting to her.

As she was just about to turn away from the desk, Rebecca paused. There was a crumpled up note on top that she had missed. Picking it up, she scrutinized its contents. The handwriting was messy, the paper stained, but it was still eligible enough for her to make out.

_'dadddy atached first_  
_momm atached scond_

_iNside reD and sLimy_  
_whiTe and haRd_

_not true moM wheRe_

_dunno dadd_  
_found mum again_

_whne atachd momMy_  
_she moved no more_  
_she screaming_

_why?_  
_Jst want to b with her.'_

'Not true Mom'? 'Found mum again'?

What does that even mean?

Had Lisa...been driven to kill her own parents by Umbrella?

Rebecca shook her head sadly.

What awful people...

The sound of the shutter slamming again stirred the medic from her thoughts, the girl pocketing this latest item.

Time to finish checking this place out.

Moving to the open doorway at the other end, Rebecca entered a slight hallway with a chest to the left. Approaching it, she opened it up, sighing with relief as she took out a box of ammunition. Pocketing it, she closed it, then turned around, moving toward the other end. The floor had a slight drop. From what she could tell, the cabin seemed to have been in construction, but the floor was unfinished, leaving the earth floor exposed. At the other end was a large board with a lit lamp and a handle, probably for a crank.

Looking down at the spiderwebs, Rebecca sighed.

"Is it too much to find a place around here that isn't covered with creepy crawlies?" she muttered.

Hopping down, Rebecca brushed her legs with disgust, removing cobwebs from her pants.

"Ewwww!"

Shuddering, she checked herself to make sure nothing was crawling on her. Once she finished, Rebecca moved toward the board, then picked up the crank, stuffing it into her backpack.

_'Now to get out of here before something crawls up and bites me.' _she thought, eying the walls and floors with distrust.

Twisting on her heel, Rebecca moved back to the raised flooring, pushed herself up, then walked through the open doorway. She had just stepped back into the bedroom when she heard a distinctive noise that made her pause in her step - the sound of the front door opening and closing.

"...Hello?" she called.

The hearth continued to burn, her question left unanswered.

Taking a nervous, shaky breath, Rebecca cautiously moved forward one trembling step at a time. She had just stepped outside the bedroom when the medic suddenly felt a sharp pain as something struck down onto the top of her head, her vision dimming as she fell to the floor.

* * *

_Star looked around, lost and confused._

_How did he get here? _

_He was in a long, white featureless stretch of hallway that extended indefinitely. Every now and then he would pass by a door, and whenever he attempted to turn the handle, he would find it sealed shut. No matter how much he struggled, no matter how hard he struck, the doors would remain closed, at which point Star would then resume onward in his aimless wandering. Turning left, he found himself in a hallway of flickering light, the walls flashing images, showing a scene like from an old, used black and white film reel. Walking down this corridor, Star glanced at the walls, watching the scene in intrigue. At first, he thought it to be a scene from "The Maltese Falcon" or some other film noir classic, but as he studied the characters, scenery, settings and camera angle, Star then realized his mistake. _

_The woman from his memories, Amy, had her back to the screen and was looking fearfully at a man, his features cast in shadow. From the angle, it seemed like camera was on the ground looking up at the two._

_"What are you doing?!" she demanded._

_"Get...get away, Amy!" Star heard someone speaking in pained and rasping gasps, drawing her attention to the screen. "Get away! He killed them! Get out of here! He's killed everyone!"_

_"What?!" Amy exclaimed in horror. Turning her eyes to the man in front of her, she hesitated as he raised up something in his hand, pointing it in her direction. _

_A pistol._

_"N-no." she said fearfully, taking a nervous step back._

_"Oh yes, my dear." the man said with a flat and neutral tone, his weapon trained on her. "Just like this."_

_Amy jerked back as the weapon fired, falling lifelessly to the ground._

* * *

"NO!" Star screamed, shooting up from the bed.

The room was pitch black. Looking around, the albino tried peering through the darkness, then waited until his eyes adjusted. Once he became certain that he was alone, he settled back onto the bed, his head touching the pillow.

He frowned. God, this fucking pillow! Rebecca wasn't kidding when she said it was like some pervert constructed it from a camel's pubic hair.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he thought of her voice and expression when she told that to him. It was strange how she had completely endeared herself to him. There were plenty of attractive women back in Arkham, but Rebecca's laugh, smile, and eyes...

How could anything or anyone be so..._perfect_?

Thinking to his own person in comparison, Star couldn't help noting the contrasts; whereas she looked like a creature from Heaven, made with the utmost care and delicacy, he, in contrast, looked like a thing cobbled together from Hell, and he felt a little envious of the girl. As the thought crossed his mind, the albino guiltily lowered his eyes in shame.

What was he thinking? He had no reason to envy her - if anything, she _deserved_ every bit of good fortune that came her way.

_'I hope she is alright.'_ He thought worriedly.

Star stared up at the ceiling, the image of Rebecca locked in his mind.

As minutes passed, Star stirred from the bed, sitting himself up. He was tired of lying around. As sore, hungry and exhausted as he was, Star knew that this was something he needed to do. He didn't care what happened to him - what mattered was saving her before history repeated itself.

* * *

When Rebecca awoke, she found herself lying on her back in front of the fireplace.

Raising a hand to her eyes, she fought the urge to throw up as she let out a groan.

"Uhh," she moaned softly, sitting up as she rubbed her scalp. "Aw, my head."

Pushing herself off the floor, she was barely off the ground when she became aware of a putrid smell, causing her to rear back in disgust.

"Aw! Oh god, what is- ugh!" Rebecca coughed, covering her nose.

The stink was just awful; she could only describe it as wet feces mixed with decay.

Hearing a clank, Rebecca turned to the doorway beside the fireplace and froze.

"Oh my god."

Dressed in a torn, tattered and filthy grey hospital gown was a wretched vision - an emaciated, hunched back and pale woman with long spidery limbs that gave her a kind of orangutan-like appearance. On her ankles were a set of a manacles that clung so tightly around that they cut deep into the woman's skin, her wrists bound by wooden cuffs that were lined with iron. Concealing the woman's head was a hideous mask that looked like it was made from human skin, but it wasn't just the face of _one_ person in particular, but a _whole collection of faces stitched together_. Even worse, at certain angles, Rebecca could spot some hints of what its wearer actually looked like through some of the seams and holes, making the medic shiver in repulsion.

And the smell - God, it was coming from her! The air was so thick with the smell that Rebecca practically breathed it in, making her want to gag! It was as if the woman had never bathed in her entire life!

The hearth lighting up her monstrous form, the woman stepped into the room, causing Rebecca to take a nervous step back before suddenly ducking to the side, narrowly avoiding a swing from the woman's unnaturally long arms. Retreating even further, Rebecca then ran one side, then another, trying to find a way to navigate around the crazed person, warily watching the woman as she matched her movements step per step. The woman herself stared back, watching her through that disgusting mask with the attentiveness of a hawk. Lunging forward a second time, the woman slammed her fists angrily down on the spot where Rebecca had been, forcing the medic back up the small set of stairs, the younger girl wincing at the impact. From the corner of her eye, Rebecca spotted something fluttering down, causing the duo to briefly pause.

_'What is she doing?'_ Rebecca wondered.

The woman remained still, focused on the slip of paper on the floor. Lowering herself down, the woman remained hunched over, exposing her entire left side to the medic. A gaping hole in the on the gown's back revealed what Rebecca had at first thought to be a giant wart or tumor on her left shoulder. When the "tumor" suddenly _blinked_ at her, Rebecca visibly flinched and turned away, trying to avoid looking at it. Looking back to the spot that the woman was focused on, she leaned in slightly, then did a double-take.

_'The photograph!'_ Rebecca gasped. It must have slipped out from her pocket! But...why was-

"Mooo...thheeeer…"

It was a hoarse cry of pain and longing, a voice that sounded as if it hadn't been used to human speech for a _very_ long time. It was a voice that belonged to a woman who knew of no peace, of perpetual torment, and loneliness. It was a voice of a woman whose only sources of companionship - at least, so it seemed to Rebecca, - were madness and despair.

Long fingers traced around the picture's ruined outline of the woman in the black skirt.

"Oh my god," Rebecca said softly in realization. "You're...you're Lisa Trevor!"

Hearing her voice, the woman looked back in her direction, letting out a deep growl as the eye on her shoulder narrowed its pupil accusatorily at the medic.

"Lisa..."

The woman stomped foward.

"Don't take another step, Lisa," Rebecca warned, shakily raising her pistol.

Lisa continued moving closer, the eyeball on her shoulder blinking.

"Lisa-"

Raising up her arms with a roar, Rebecca screamed as she curled herself up into a ball, waiting for the coming blow. When it never arrived, Rebecca risked raising her eyes back to her would-be attacker, wondering what caused the delay. Lisa's head was tilted to the side, listening.

"...Mooo...therrr?"

Blinking, Rebecca did likewise for a moment, then looked around the cabin. She couldn't hear anything aside from the wind.

Could Lisa be hallucinating?

Rebecca didn't bother moving at all; in fact, she was doing everything in her power _not_ to move, wanting to avoid bringing attention to herself as Lisa lowered her arms.

"...Mooo...therrr…" Lisa said softly, a tear dropping from her swollen eyes through a hole in her mask onto the floor.

Rebecca stared at the wretched woman, watching her closely, the medic's heart racing as seconds turned into minutes. Lisa remained quiet, looking as if she were paying close attention to something being said. As time passed, Lisa's docility faded.

"...Rrrreeeedddd...maaaaan..." Lisa broke the silence, her tone angry.

Rebecca blinked.

"Redman"? Who was Redman?

Whoever...or whatever, this "Redman" was, it was upsetting Lisa.

Could this "Redman" be responsible for what happened to Lisa and her family?

Rebecca watched as Lisa's hands tightened into fists.

"...Kkkkkiiiilllll…..rrreeeeedddd….mmaaaannnn." the latter said in a hoarse whisper.

Slamming her manacled hands onto the ground, causing Rebecca to flinch and the floor to crack, the maniacal woman continued to work herself into a frenzy as she became more and more agitated.

"RRRRREEEEEDDDDD...MMMAAAAAN!" the demented woman roared, slamming her hands onto the ground like a gorilla about to charge. "KKKKIIIIIILLLLL...RRRRRREEEEEDDDD...MMMMAAAAANNNNN!"

Letting out a howl of rage, Lisa lurched back from where she came, exiting the room. Rebecca remained still, waiting until she heard the door opened and closed.

"RRRREEEEEEDDDD...MMMMMAAAAAANNNNN!" Came the cry from outside.

Raising herself up, Rebecca stared to the doorway, her form shaking.

What was that all about?

_'I should get out of here before she decides to come back.' _Came the thought.

As much as Rebecca felt sorry for the poor woman, she was lucky Lisa hadn't attacked and killed her on the spot. Pushing herself off the floor, she quickly picked up the photo and stuffed it back into her pocket, making sure it remained secure, then headed out the door.

* * *

Stepping out from the cabin, the medic glanced around.

"I wish I knew where to go," she said softly.

Somewhere down below, she heard Lisa's screams, her chains rattling loudly.

"RRRRREEEEEEDDDD MMMMMAAAAAAANNNNN!"

Rebecca shuddered. God, that sound! Together with the chains it sounded as if an angry spirit had returned from beyond the grave to wreak vengeance on the person responsible.

"I should get back to the others," she said to herself as she wandered down a path to the right that led downhill.

As Rebecca descended, she gave one last look to the moon, discomforted by its shining eye.

* * *

Star closed the door behind him as he entered the F-shaped hallway.

"Rebecca?" he called. "Officer Redfield? Can anyone hear me?"

He was just about to enter a room in the middle when the door opened, drawing his attention as he tensed up. Upon seeing the source, however, as she stepped into the hallway, the albino felt the muscles in his body loosen. Turning to face her, Star smiled.

"There you are!" he sighed. "I had been so worried."

Rebecca said nothing. Instead, she merely looked around in fear. Lowering his smile, Star scrutinized the girl.

"Are you okay, Rebecca?" he asked, approaching her slowly.

Rebecca took a step forward, still shifting her eyes about.

"Rebecca?"

The girl ignored him. A piece of wood creaked somewhere up above them, the two teenagers flinching at the sound. Staring up warily at the ceiling, the two waited, then shakily let out nervous breaths.

"God, this place," Star muttered, the knot in his stomach sitting unpleasantly in the middle like a stone. Turning to face her, the albino nodded. "It's good to see you."

Rebecca didn't answer.

Knitting his brows, Star blinked at her.

"Rebecca?"

She kept ignoring him, continuing to eye her surroundings with a frightened expression plastered onto her face.

What had happened to her?

He frowned.

_'Perhaps the better question should be what **hasn't** happened to her?'_ Came the thought.

Since entering the mansion, it was one horror show after another.

The albino lowered his chin in shame.

"...I'm sorry, Rebecca," he said softly. "I'm so sorry for letting you go."

He waited for a response. The girl let out a nervous breath as he exhaled.

"You don't have to worry, Rebecca," Star assured, "you're safe now. Let me just contact Officer Valentine to take a look at you-"

He cut himself off as the medic looked in his direction. She didn't even seem to register what he was saying. The stone in his stomach shifted.

Had her head injury become worse?

"Rebecca?" Star said uncertainly.

Rebecca stepped wordlessly toward him.

"Rebecca are you okay?" Star asked as he took a step toward her.

When she failed to respond, the albino started to feel nervous.

_'Please God, let her be alright,'_ Star prayed.

"Rebecca, please. Say something. Are you hurt?"

Rebecca kept coming toward him, looking up at the corners, tilting her head from side to side like a scared animal.

"Rebecca-"

Star nearly had a heart attack as she suddenly _passed right through his body_! Staring ahead with wide frightened eyes, the albino stumbled back and felt his chest, his body shaking as he looked back to her departing back. Raising his shaking hands up to study them, Star watched his limbs violently tremble as he huffed furiously, the scream in his throat coming out in harsh, sharp yet short gasps.

_'What the hell is going on?!'_ his brain demanded, his head thumping with adrenalin.

Looking back to Rebecca, he watched as she headed further down. Twisting on his heel, he hurried to her side.

"Rebecca? Rebecca!" he said frantically. "Rebecca? Rebecca! Rebecca it's me, Star! For god's sakes, can't you see me? Can you hear me? Please say something!"

He repeated himself over and over again, but no matter how many times he tried, no matter the volume, Star was unable to do anything. All of his attempts at getting her attention resulted in failure, leaving him powerless. All he could do was follow her down the rabbit hole into madness.

* * *

The storeroom light flickered repeatedly, the sound mixing with Rebecca's shivering and soft crying as she sat on the edge of the bed. Star stared with concerned and sad eyes as he sat on the chair beside her.

"Why can't you see or hear me?" he asked quietly. "Why-why can't I dry away your tears?"

What can he do to make her stop crying?

No matter what he had done, no matter how loud he yelled or screamed, his efforts were futile.

Raising up his gloved hand to her face, he watched as his fingers sank into her tearstained cheeks, his digits phasing through her skin as if she were nothing more than empty air.

He felt absolutely powerless.

Pulling his limb away, Star lowered his eyes, letting out a sad exhale as he absentmindedly got up from the chair and quietly headed out the door, opening and closing it shut as he left the room.

"Hello?"

Hearing Rebecca's voice, Star paused, then looked back behind him.

"Rebecca?"

The door cracked slightly, revealing a scared green eye as it peaked out.

Star turned around to face her.

"Rebecca?"

"...Is someone there?" she called.

"I'm right here, Rebecca!" he called back.

Rebecca pushed the door open more, allowing him to smile. The smile died down as she looked in various directions, completely oblivious to his presence.

"I'm right in front of you!" he said in frustration. As she disappeared back behind the door, Star raised up his hands, feeling the urge to tear his own hair out.

Taking in a deep breath, he exhaled, then calmly grabbed the door handle. Pulling it open, he watched as Rebecca let out a startled scream, causing him to jerk back in alarm.

"Ah! What?! What happened?! What happened?!" Star asked as he looked about, his body tense. "Why are you screaming?!"

The girl had curled herself up into a ball on the bed, her frightened eyes staring ahead.

Blinking in confusion, the albino stared back at her.

What could have caused her to-

He stopped himself. Scrunching up his eyebrows, he looked back to the door, then back to her.

Grabbing the handle, he drew it open slightly, causing her to elicit a startled squeak.

Closing it, he looked at his hand, then the door handle.

_'So I can still touch the door knobs...but...why can't she see me?' _he wondered.

A lightbulb went off in the albino's head. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a pen, then started to write on the door itself.

"Can...you...see...this message?" Star said while writing.

Hearing panicking breathing and a creak, he turned to see Rebecca backing away, the girl staring with terrified eyes.

"No no no no!" Star said worriedly. "Please...don't...be...afraid! It's...me, Star!"

Rebecca shivered, then crumpled to her knees.

"REBECCA!" Star yelled, running to her, sinking down beside her. As he attempted to touch her shoulder, his hand sank through, causing him to draw back in surprise, looking at his hand and at the girl in bewilderment. Rebecca then started to break down and cry, making the albino stare at her in alarm.

"I'm-I'm going insane!" Rebecca wept. "Oh God, I'm-I'm-I'm losing my mind!"

Star tried to reach up and clear away the tears from eyes, watching as his gloved fingers pass through her cheeks.

Looking at the pen in his hand, Star hesitated for a moment. Would it work, or would it just make it worse?

He sighed, moving beside her. It was worth a try.

"Please don't cry, Rebecca." He wrote on the floor in front of her. He watched as the girl stopped and stared down at the message. Taking her pause as a positive sign, Star continued to write more, spurned on by something within him.

"'I fear thy kisses, gentle maiden,'" he said softly, "'Thou needest not fear mine;  
My spirit is too deeply laden  
Ever to burthen thine.

"'I fear thy mien, thy tones, thy motion,  
Thou needest not fear mine;  
Innocent is the heart's devotion  
With which I worship thine.'"

Star watched as Rebecca read the message, then cleared her eyes.

"Great, I have a ghost haunting me now," she said to herself.

Star gave a soft and amused snort.

"I wonder who this "Star" is," Rebecca wondered aloud.

The albino looked at her in surprise.

What in the world?

At first, he thought the medic was joking, but after seeing the serious expression on her face, he became completely confused.

She looked around. "Are you still with me?"

Star wrote.

"Yes."

He then looked at his pen, then at the writing on the floor.

"Can...you...see...this...pen?"

He watched as Rebecca shook her head.

"No."

Star stared at the pen, completely confounded. So she can see his writing, but not his pen? How was that even possible?

Looking back to Rebecca, he suddenly froze. There was something...imperceptibly..._different_...about her.

She still had the same wide green eyes, still had the same oval-shaped face and short nose...and yet...Star knew that something was off. It was then that he noticed a mole close to her left ear, just slightly hidden by some hair.

_'Had that always been there?'_ he wondered.

He was positive that Rebecca never had such a mark, so how could he have missed it?

She didn't even have the bandage wrapped around her forehead.

_'And her scent!'_ he realized. Even her scent was different! When Rebecca had leaned in earlier to help with his bandages, Star couldn't help noticing an appealing aroma that vividly reminded him of fresh berries and leaves. This...doppelganger, for lack of a better word, smelled of oranges.

"Tell me about yourself, Star." Rebecca encouraged.

Star continued to stare, writing as he spoke.

"We met on the Ecliptic Express, remember?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. "We had? When?"

"You saved my life. Several times, in fact."

Rebecca shook her head.

"I don't remember any of that." She paused. "Billy? Billy is that you?"

Star hesitated, both at the name and the tone she used as she spoke.

"I am not William." he wrote.

He watched as the girl's features fell, and as he did so, a feeling of resentment started to form in the albino's mind. From her tone, she seemed to be..._smitten_ for William Coen, but...that couldn't be.

He continued on.

"You are in love with Albert Wesker," he wrote.

Rebecca made a face.

"Ew, God no!" she replied, shaking her head rigorously. "He's old enough to be my father! I mean, yeah, he's a hottie, but Billy...he's _amazing_!"

Rebecca's eyes shined as she spoke his name, causing Star to clench his teeth. Taking in a deep, angry breath, the albino closed his eyes and exhaled. Once he calmed down, he wrote on.

"You told me your middle name is Elizabeth when I asked what the 'E' on your ID card stood for."

Rebecca smiled.

"I'm afraid that's wrong. My middle name is Mary."

Star's brows knitted in confusion as she took out her wallet and opened it up. True to her word, it said "Rebecca M. Chambers".

_'Okay, I know that it had been Elizabeth, so why-'_

Before he could interrogate any further, something creaked behind. Turning around, Star stopped when he saw a shape stumbling through the doorway toward her. Seeing it, Rebecca screamed.

"No, NO!" He yelled, lunging toward the zombie. "GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Throwing a punch, he stumbled through the creature. Turning around in confusion, he glanced at his fist, then back at the zombie. Charging forward with a yell, Star threw a series of punches and kicks, but no matter how fast he threw them, no matter the angle, no matter how high or low, all of his attacks passed right through it. Even a swing with his pen resulted in no damage.

Panting furiously from exhaustion, the albino watched in horror as the zombie grabbed hold of Rebecca and bit into her neck, causing her to let out a shrill scream of pain. Blood gushed onto the bed and walls as it hungrily chomped away.

"NO!" Star screamed as he ran forward, trying to grab hold of something, anything.

The creature viciously mauled into Rebecca's neck, the girl coughing up copious amounts of blood as her jugular was torn apart.

Staring helplessly on, Star stood there in shock, his body frozen.

The sounds of frenzied feasting filled the storeroom. Once it had finished, the zombie stood up and lumbered away, taking no notice of Star as it left him alone with Rebecca's torn body.

"No," he said in a hush voice, sinking to his knees. Tears welled up from the corners of his eyes.

"No..." he repeated.

Star shook his head furiously as he crawled toward her.

"No..." he murmured. "No..."

Reaching for her hand, sadness turned to horror as he found that she had solidified. Holding her limp hand up, the albino's stared, then lowered his chin. Picking her up as delicately as he could, Star watched as the girl stared up at him, a whimper escaping his lips as he held her up in his arms. She had some life left, but it wouldn't be for much longer.

"I'm sorry," Star said in a tiny sob-filled voice. "I'm so sorry. I should have protected you. I'm so sorry!"

Giving one final cough and gasp, the girl shuddered and shivered, then sagged, the color fading from her eyes.

"No." Star whispered. "No. No no no no! No! NO!"

Holding her up in a tight embrace, her head resting on his neck, the albino wept loudly as his scarred eyes locked shut, his wails echoing.

* * *

"NO!" Star yelled as he shot up from the bed. Putting a had to his mouth, he stifled a sniffle as he glanced around. Rebecca's body was gone.

Disoriented, the boy checked for indications of her presence.

Nothing. No blood trail, no footprints of any kind. Nothing to suggest she had ever been here in the first place.

Not even the bedsheets were stained. Nor were his clothes.

Settling back onto the bed, Star wiped his eyes, taking a sharp breath.

God, that was awful!

He could still feel the spot on his neck where Rebecca's head had rested. Raising a hesitant hand, he was just about to touch the area when the door opened, revealing Officer Valentine as she carried in a pair of suitcases. His suitcases.

"Hey, big guy," Valentine greeted. "How are you feeling?"

Star didn't answer.

"...Bad dream?"

"I...suppose?" he said uncertainly.

Valentine nodded sympathetically.

"Well, given the circumstances, I can't say I'm surprised. Hell, I had a couple earlier," she sighed.

Star looked at her curiously. "Did you?"

"Yeah. Scary stuff," she replied, looking uncomfortable. Star opened his mouth to respond, but the woman cut him off as she looked away, clearing her throat nervously as she gestured to the suitcases in hand. "I had found your bags in the middle of the hall and just wanted to drop them off." She then placed them down by side of the bed.

"Pretty heavy."

Star nodded.

"I'm sorry that you had to carry them around," he said softly. He then added, "And thank you. Thank you for finding and bringing them."

Valentine shrugged.

"Don't mention it," she replied.

She was just about to leave when he called out, "Could you stay for a moment? I don't want to fall back asleep and I just...want to talk, if it's alright with you."

"We could talk in a little bit, okay? There's a room upstairs I need to check out. I promise I'll be quick."

Star nodded.

"Okay."

As Valentine left the room, Star stared up at the ceiling, then raised up his hand to feel his neck.

"That feeling is still there," he whispered to himself.

* * *

Rebecca squinted as she tried peering through the thick wood surrounding her.

"Where do I go?"


	22. Chapter Twenty-One: Valentine

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**Song used: "Wheel in the Sky" by Journey**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Valentine**

Jill couldn't have been any more unimpressed with her newest "discovery".

"Oh joy!" Came the sarcastic remark.

It was a medium-sized room with an oriental-styled rug covering the floor, about eleven by sixteen, with a high ceiling. A chanedelier hung directly over a roundtable, chair and lamp further to the right with some scattered papers and bottles of wine. Average-looking enough...except for the various taxidermy animals and animal heads that decorated the walls. One piece in particular, an eagle mounted on a round perch with wings spread in flight and gleaming white eyes, stared accusatorily at Jill, causing her to shudder.

"This is assuring," Jill said dryly.

To her right, at the far end wall was a bison head, while staring opposite to her left was a deer head with one side completely torn apart, the eye missing.

"Looks like you had one heck of a bad day, big fella." Jill said as she stepped into the room, looking up curiously.

It was absolutely shredded.

_'What could have ravaged it so horribly?'_ she wondered.

Moving to the table at the other end, she looked up at the bison head that stared down to the floor.

As Jill stepped over to the side, she noticed something glinting in one of the sockets. Something yellow.

Pushing a crate over to the wall, making sure it was aligned right beneath the deer head, Jill climbed on top of it and reached for its eye, then pulled. Adjusting her grip, she grunted with exertion as she tried pulling again.

Nothing. It wouldn't budge.

Shrugging, Jill stepped back down.

"Oh well."

She was about to make her way out of the room when she suddenly paused.

...Had the eagle moved?

"I could have sworn it was facing the door earlier," Jill said to herself.

And yet, here it was, staring at her. She waited a minute, then two. She kept waiting for something to happen. As another minute passed, the Alpha audibly sighed.

"Must be my imagination."

Looking back to the door, Jill shrugged, then exited the room, trying to ignore the unnerving stare of the perched eagle as it stared into the back of her head.

* * *

Star cracked his eyes open as Officer Valentine entered the west storeroom.

"Hey," she greeted.

He rubbed his eyes.

"Hi," the albino greeted back tiredly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired, but a bit better," he answered.

"Everything okay?"

"Relatively. At least, under the circumstances."

Valentine nodded. "Yeah."

Star hesitated.

"I...take it you were unable to find Rebecca?" he asked.

"Afraid not."

The albino lowered his eyes.

"Hey," Valentine spoke softly, "you don't have to worry. We'll find her."

Star said nothing. He opened his mouth to respond when a noise from somewhere upstairs drew their attention, a heavy thumping. Footsteps.

_Very_ heavy footsteps.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

"Fuck!" Valentine swore. "We need to get out of here. Now!"

Pushing himself off the bed, Star stumbled, causing the Alpha to catch him.

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" he assured as he steadied himself, reaching for his suitcases. "Let me just-"

"Leave your bags, we need to get out now!" Valentine said urgently as she assisted him, looping one of his arms around her shoulders.

Exiting the room, the survivors scurried away, the albino partially hanging off her shoulder.

"Let's hide here," Valentine whispered as she led him beneath the stairs, the stomping sounding closer than ever.

Ducking low behind some thick wooden crates, the duo huddled together, watching and listening. Moans echoed all around them, the stomping becoming louder, crashing down violently, causing Star to shiver and curl up in a ball.

Star's pulse was running a mile a second, his body tense, flinching each time at the impact of the creature's heavy feet.

He became aware of a tightness around his chest, the boy letting out a low whimper.

"You need to be as quiet as possible," Valentine whispered into his ear, her voice so soft that Star nearly missed it.

The survivors cowered beneath the stairs, grabbing hold of each other in a tight embrace as the thunderous steps crashed above.

"Everything is going to be okay," Valentine tried to assure in a confident voice and manner, but her words lacked conviction, her eyes revealing pure, unadulterated terror.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

God, he can't take much more of this!

Star felt so afraid that his entire body quaked, every part of him trembling and shivering underneath Valentine's touch.

The stomps and moans were now just a few feet away, so horribly close that he could practically feel them rumbling through his frame. He felt the stomps pass directly above him until finally he heard the creature step down at the foot of the stairs.

Rasping gasps and wheezes sharply punctuated the air, the creature's armor creaking with each movement it made, making the survivors tense up as they waited. The golem remained in position, standing there.

_'Come on,'_ Star thought. _'Just move away from us.'_

It was now moving to the west storeroom.

_No. No...no...! No no no no!_

* * *

Chariot Type-027 reached for the door knob, halting as his earpiece went off.

"A new objective has been added to your heads-up display. There are strays that need to be dealt with in the following areas of the mansion," his master spoke. Chariot watched as a blue map flashed over the lens in his helmet. Several rooms flashed red. "Find and destroy them immediately!"

Giving a nod, the armored beast roared, raising up its trusty axe as it turned away and charged back up the stairs.

* * *

The survivors remained still, waiting as the stomps faded into the distance.

"Um, you can let me go of me now."

Blinking, Star turned his head. Finding himself face to face with Valentine, he glanced down, then did a double-take.

They had been hugging each other.

"Ah...sorry," Star said awkwardly as he let go of her and she him, clearing his throat. Peeking behind the box, he stared up above. "Is it gone?"

"For now," Valentine replied. "Let's use this opportunity to get out of here."

Star nodded, following her out from behind the stairs before stumbling slightly as she caught hold of him.

"Whoa, easy, big guy," the Alpha said as he held onto him. "Looks like you still haven't recovered."

"I'm fine!" Star insisted.

"Are you sure?"

"I'll be alright," he assured. "I just need some Tylenol, that's all."

Valentine reached into her pocket and pulled out a bottle. "Here."

Taking it, he nodded.

"Thank you."

Unscrewing the cap, Star took two pills, swallowing them whole, then looked up to the second floor above.

"What was that all about?" he wondered aloud.

Valentine shrugged.

"Good question. Bathroom break, perhaps?"

Star scoffed.

"Hey, you never know," Valentine said. "That armor looks pretty heavy, so I can imagine that it must be pretty inconvenient walking around all the time in that thing."

He half shrugged, handing her back the bottle of Tylenol.

"True." Massaging his eyes, Star shook himself awake. "I think- I think I'm alright now. You can let go of me."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, feeling her grip slackening as he straightened himself up.

"Thank you."

She smiled.

"Hey, no problem! If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask." The Alpha then waved to him. "Come on."

* * *

Jill sighed as they took yet another detour through a corridor.

_'Like rats in a maze,'_ she thought ruefully.

Looking to her albino companion, Jill studied his features. That unnameable sense of _wrongness_ about him still stirred within her. She was simultaneously fascinated, yet repulsed by his presence and...she had do idea why. Looking at his eyes, Jill suddenly paused.

Did his eyes just..._glow_?

_'I could have sworn they just did seconds ago,'_ she thought.

For a brief moment, Jill was sure that she had caught a glimpse of their doing so.

The albino seemed to notice her staring, turning his violet reptilian eyes to meet hers.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

Jill steeled herself, avoiding a shiver. God, his _eyes_...

They were soft and kind...and yet...there was a...glassy flatness about them that deeply troubled her. And the way they were shining...

She was vividly reminded of a wolf she had encountered on the highway in the middle of the night years ago as it crossed the street, how when she braked it had looked up startled with its glowing eyes before darting out of the way.

_'Must be a trick of the light.'_ Came the thought.

"...No," she answered. "It's nothing."

He watched her for a moment, then turned his eyes away, allowing Jill to release a breath.

_'Just a trick of the light.' _she told herself.

The two remained quiet for a time as they explored the various halls and corridors.

"...So...while you were sleeping earlier," Jill began, breaking the silence, "...you called out Rebecca's name."

A teasing smile edged up a corner of her mouth as she silently gave him a meaningful look. The boy stiffened, deliberately averting his gaze away from her.

"...You really got it bad for her, huh?"

He frowned.

"...Is it _that_ obvious?" the albino asked.

Jill nodded. "I know the look."

The albino's eyes drooped sadly.

"Hey, it's nothing to feel ashamed about," the older woman patted his back. "There's nothing wrong with feeling the way you do."

The albino's frown deepened. Turning to face her, he opened his mouth to respond, but closed, looking away.

"...Isn't there?"

"Of course not."

He was quiet for a moment, his downcast eyes staring to the floor.

"...I don't think others would agree," he murmured. "Besides, she already loves someone else."

No sooner had those words left his mouth that the albino gave a sudden look of alarm, putting a hand over his mouth. From his reaction, he hadn't intended to let that slip.

Valentine blinked in surprise. "Does she?"

Star winced.

"Who's the lucky guy?"

The albino lowered his chin, his eyes concealed by his red hood.

"...It is none of our business," he replied in a tone of finality.

Jill let it slide, pondering on the mystery person that had captured Rebecca's heart.

"Out of curiosity," the albino began, cutting off her thoughts, "... how well do you know my father?"

Jill shrugged. "Not a lot, admittedly."

"Is...there anything you can you tell me about him?"

The Alpha considered the question.

"...He's quiet." she answered. "Loves classical music."

"Really?" Star perked up. "Any favorites?"

"He's fond of Beethoven," Jill remembered. "Loves playing it in his car on certain occasions."

The albino thoughtfully glanced aside.

"Interesting." He raised his eyes back to her. "Anything else you can tell me about him?"

Jill shrugged again.  
"I'm afraid not, big guy. Sorry." she said apologetically.

The duo continued through the passages, awkwardly looking for something to say.

"So..." Valentine began, "you're a university student?"

He nodded. "I am."

"What is your major?"

"I'm doing my PH.D. in Classics."

"A PH.D.!" Valentine said in surprise. "Well that's something! What do you plan to do when you graduate?"

He shifted uncomfortably.

"Well...I initially thought of becoming a professor, but after I found those articles about Father...I...thought that I could apply for S.T.A.R.S."

Jill looked at him and grinned.

"Trying to follow in your father's footsteps, huh?" she nudged. "A star among S.T.A.R.S.?"

"Well...yes," he conceded, a slight blush of embarrassment coloring his scarred cheeks, "but...I just want to ascertain whether Captain Wesker is my father or not."

Jill nodded.

"I understand. If he is...just remember that you are your own person, okay? Just because you are- well, _might_ be his son...it doesn't mean that you have to be _exactly _like him."

He nodded. "I know."

"Good. Good." Looking around at their surroundings, she studied the pieces of furniture they passed by, shaking her head.

"Is something wrong, Officer?" the albino asked.

She sighed.

"Just reminiscing on how simple things used to be," Jill answered. "Not too long ago it was cops and robbers, and now we're fighting monsters. Go figure. I feel like I'm dreaming."

The boy gave a low laugh, revealing his teeth, drawing her attention.

Even his teeth seemed wrong.

"You and me both," the albino chuckled darkly. "Personally I'd rather wrestle with the works of Plato, Aristotle, Sartre, Dante or Homer's 'The Odyssey' than the undead."

Jill smiled slightly. "You enjoy reading."

He nodded. "I do."

"You wild party animal, you!"

The youth scoffed.

"I bet you miss your friends in Louisiana. Must have had a lot of parties down there!"

His smile faltered, then fell.

She raised her eyes to meet his. "Come on, surely you have friends!"

"..."

Jill stopped walking, looking directly at the youth.

"...Don't you have any?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"Well," he conceded, "I have Mother. Also Dante, Vergil, Homer, Chaucer, Shelly, Keats...what better company is there?"

Jill stared, then resumed on, the albino following by her side. "Sounds lonely."

The red-clad boy considered it for a moment.

"...I...suppose."

He clicked his tongue against his teeth, looking as though he were trying to consider his words.

"...Before coming here, I had never believed myself to be." he confessed. "I was used to being alone. I was used to the staring, the mockery. The fearful looks. Some of them actually had believed me to be an Innsmouth bastard."

"Why? What made them think that?"

"Apparently the locals of that area had what was known as the 'Innsmouth look'," the youth shrugged. "I actually went there once with Mother. Suffice to say, while I can...appreciate...to an extent...how they may see me in that way...I'm pretty certain I am not from there. Besides which, I wouldn't want to live in that place even if I had been. One visit was more than enough."

Jill tilted her head. "That bad?"

The hooded boy considered his response.

"They're...unpleasant," he answered. "It's a miserable little coastal town that perpetually stank of rotting fish, populated by a people that were just as unpleasant to see and be around. A very belligerent people, even when addressed politely." The boy hesitated. "My apologies for saying this, but...I honestly think there might have been some...um...well...inbreeding in that area. I couldn't help notice that a lot of them have the same features."

Jill's only response was to mimic the sound of a banjo playing, "Bown Down Down Down."

The youth rolled his eyes.

"Others seemed to believe that my condition was in connection to Numbers Chapter Five, Line Two."

The Alpha scrunched her brows in confusion.

"'Numbers Chapter Five'?" she queried.

The youth raised a brow. "You're not a Bible reader?"

"It's been a while," she shrugged. "Can you remind me what the line is?"

"'The Lord said to Moses, "Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has an infectious skin disease or a discharge of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean because of a dead body."'"

She blinked. "They thought you were a leper?"

The albino shrugged.

"Some. Not all."

Jill stared. "How can you tolerate that?"

He gave a rueful smile.

"Mother asked me that all the time, to which I would answer that I was secretly Baldur. Jokingly, of course."

"...'Baldur'?"

"The Norse god of light that felt no pain," the albino explained. "Invulnerable to all earthly elements."

"Ah."

He exhaled.

"...When I met Rebecca, though...it was...so...unexpected. She was kind to me. She actually smiled and seemed to like talking with me. I suppose you could say she is the mistletoe to my Baldur."

"...Mistletoe?"

"The plant that is able to break through Baldur's defenses." The youth said simply.

"Ah."

He lowered his eyes. "...I know it must sound silly to you, but...I just...couldn't help appreciate the...novelty of being smiled at...of being treated like a...human being. Perhaps on some level I really _had_ been miserable. Maybe I have _always_ been miserable and I was...trying to convince myself that I wasn't, and all this death and destruction around us is finally making me realize now how much I have taken things for granted, how precious our time here on earth is. How we should...treasure every moment while we're still able to..."

The albino raised his eyes to meet Jill's, and in that moment, she saw his fear.

"As-as miserable as I may be...I don't...I don't...I don't want to die here." he said quietly. "Not when there's so much I want to-"

He trailed off as he cracked. Jill planted a hand on his shoulder, patting him on the back as he looked away and sniffled quietly.

"It's okay, it's okay. You are not going to die here," she affirmed in a hushed voice. "We'll get out of this together. Nobody else is going to die."

The boy looked at her anxiously.

"What-what if...what if we're the only ones left?" he asked in a small and fearful voice. "What if the others-"

"Don't say that!" Jill snapped sharply, desperately refusing to believe such a thing. Seeing him flinch, her features softened. "Don't go down that path. It's an ugly place to be, and that type of thinking doesn't help anyone. I know you're scared, but I need you to be strong. For me. For Chris. For your Mother. Your Father. For Rebecca."

Even as she spoke those words, Jill felt all of her emotion pour out with every syllable, every word as she teared up, a few drops escaping down her cheeks. Like Star, those thoughts too had crossed her mind, and she too was just as anxious. Perhaps even more so. But between the two of them, Jill knew she needed to be the one to push them forward, otherwise she would've collapsed into a hopeless ball of despair and crumble into oblivion.

Jill cleared her eyes alongside the albino.

"I-I'm sorry," the latter replied quietly, nodding as he wiped his eyes with the back of his arm.

She shook her head. "Don't be. You're just stressed, that's all. So am I. I'm actually impressed you were able to hold yourself together after everything you've been through these past two nights. We'll find them, big guy. Just be strong a little while longer for the both of us. Can you do that?"

The albino exhaled, then nodded a second time. "Yeah."

Jill patted him on the shoulder, then took in a deep breath.

"You'll see. Things will be alright," she promised.

It wasn't much of an assurance, admittedly. It sounded and felt hollow to the Alpha, but it had the effect of calming them both down. Somewhat, at least.

"...Do you think the others are alive?" the youth asked.

"Absolutely," Jill nodded with certainty, trying to convince him as much as herself. "Chris and Rebecca, especially."

Minutes passed before the albino spoke up again.

"...What makes you so certain?"

Jill frowned. "...Would you rather believe that they're both dead?"

"Of course not! But-"

Letting out a weary sigh, she cut him off.

"Look," she started, "I'm as much in the dark as much as you are, and right now the only thing keeping me going is the belief that Chris and Barry and Wesker are still alive, and between you and me, I don't want to think about their deaths, okay? Let's move onto a different topic already."

Her tone left no room for argument.

Falling back to silence, the albino looked away, the two resuming on in their aimless search.

* * *

As time passed, the duo found an assortment of curious rooms.

In one room was another large art gallery that had an elaborate old-fashioned globe with some fancy nearby shelves, one of them having a capsule with an unidentified organ inside, while a painting of a woman with sad eyes, identified by Star as a copy of "Proserpine" by Dante Gabriel Rosetti, hung from a wall.

One painting in particular, however, brought out a very strong reaction in the teenager; it was a painting that had three figures in the center, two young men and an old man. The scene depicted the latter holding down one of the former down by the neck onto some sort of rocky ledge, the youth struggling beneath his grip, looking fearfully and crying up in protest at the sight of a knife. The old man seemed to be in the midst of plunging the knife into the boy's neck but was distracted by the other youth, who was grabbing hold of the arm that had said-weapon.

Star stared, his skin paling in fright, his face sweating.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Jill asked in concern.

He swallowed, letting out a short, nervous, shaky breath.

"I-I can't breathe!" he rasped, clawing at his coat, clutching his chest.

Jill worriedly approached the albino.

"What's the matter?"

"I-I need to get out of here! I'm finding it hard to breathe!" he said in a strained voice, his breathing fast and heavy. "I-I think I'm having a heart attack!"

The Alpha carefully guided him out of the room. "Don't worry, honey, everything is going to be okay. Just take deep, slow breaths. You're going to be just fine."

Looking over her shoulder, Jill studied both the painting and its label.

_"Sacrifice of Isaac"_ by Michelangelo Caravaggio.

* * *

Once the two had left the room, Jill had him seated down on the floor, leaning against a wall for support.

"Breathe slowly," she said. "Inhale, exhale."

The albino wheezed, panting heavily as he clutched his chest.

"It's okay. Breathe in." Jill inhaled through her nostrils. "Breathe out." She puffed out of her mouth.

Star followed her example. Together they repeated the action over and over until the albino was able to calm down.

"How do you feel?" Jill asked.

Star sighed. "Better." He looked at her. "What happened?"

"I think you just had an anxiety attack," she replied.

"An anxiety attack?" he repeated in puzzlement.

"You never had one before?" She questioned.

He shook his head. "Never."

He sat there contemplatively, his brows furrowed, looking as if he were trying to make sense of it. A little while later, Star pushed himself off the floor.

"Easy," Jill said soothingly as she reached out to support him.

"I'm alright." he said, raised a hand, indicating for her to stop.

"Are you sure?"

"I'll be okay," Star nodded. "Let's continue looking for the others."

As the albino departed, Jill followed, watching him worriedly.

What could have scared him so much to put him in such a state?

* * *

The other curio they discovered was the also grimmest. There was a hole in the floor of one particular room.

Dropping down, the survivors found themselves in what appeared to be some sort of long-abandoned tomb with peeling grey and ivy-covered walls, but it was the grave stone up ahead that drew Star's immediate attention.

Carved into its surface was one name.

George Trevor.

Star swallowed, his eyes threatening to spill tears.

"Bastards," he whispered. "Murdering bastards."

Jill nodded. "I know."

He shook his head. "So much for meeting one of my idols."

The red-clad youth stared ahead, then looked at her.

"Would-would it be okay if I can be alone for a moment? Just-just so I can pay my respects."

The Alpha nodded. "Go ahead."

* * *

Star watched as Valentine moved away, giving him some space. Looking back to the gravestone, the hooded albino gave a slight bow.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Trevor," he began. "My name is Star."

Mercifully, no response came.

"You don't know me, but I'm a huge fan of your work." Star continued. "It had always been a dream of mine to meet you in person one day, perhaps even hire you to construct a mansion for myself."

The albino shook his head sadly.

"So much for that now." He wetted his lips. "I'm-I'm sorry for what has happened to you and your family. I wish I had known. And-" He hesitated, his lips trembling as he allowed the wetness in his eyes to drip down his cheeks, speaking in a quieter voice, "And...if I had any part in your fate...if I had any involvement with Umbrella...I am sorry...and I hope you can forgive me."

Star allowed himself to weep. Feeling a comforting hand on his back, he looked back in surprise to see Jill with a sad look. She looked to the grave stone and gave a respectful nod, then motioned him away.

"Let's go."

Climbing out, the survivors continued on, their minds shaken by what they had found.

* * *

The corridors seemed to stretch, loop and coil around like a snake's body, almost without end. Occasionally the monotony was broken through the odd encounter with a zombie or two, but a lot of the time it was dead silent, and that grated on both the survivors' fragile nerves.

A few minutes of nervous fidgeting later, Jill spoke, "Sooooo….what do you plan on doing when we get out of here?"

"Get a shower, find something to eat, then find the closest hotel with a comfortable bed and sleep." The youth replied as he rubbed his eyes. "I am very tired."

She nodded sympathetically. "Sounds like a plan."

He grunted, then turned his eyes to her.

"How about you?"

"Same thing," Jill yawned. "I feel like I could hibernate for a year or two."

"Hm." The hooded youth nodded.

She regarded him for a moment.

"Sorry, I actually meant to ask you this earlier, but...how do you prefer to be addressed as? Wolf, Jack, or Star?"

"Star." His eyes lit up with mischief. "But you could always call me 'Master Supreme Overlord of the Universe', if you want."

The Alpha cracked a smile, shaking her head. Wise guy.

"Too much of a mouthful," she replied. "I think I'll just stick with 'Star'."

The albino shrugged.

"If you wish."

Jill shrugged back. "Okay. Star it is, then."

Falling back to silence, the duo continued their search through the winding corridors and twisting rooms as they both nervously regarded the environment around them, unnerved by the stillness of it all.

Sometimes the silence would be periodically broken by something, be it wind, an animal howling or a tree branch clattering against a window somewhere.

A lot of the time, however, Jill tried using her radio at different intervals to reach someone, only to find nothing but static. Perhaps it would have been wiser had the two remained quiet in order to keep their ears open for something, be it a call for help or the cry of a hidden predator, but the truth was that both were too rattled and emotionally drained, too jittery for their own liking.

Perhaps the sound of a human voice comforted them and provided some form of assurance that neither were alone. Whatever the reason, there was an unspoken agreement between the two that it was better to not let the quietness last for too long.

Jill watched as Star quirked his head at an angle, his expression reminding her of a curious dog.

"...Would it...be okay if I asked you a personal question?" he asked.

She hesitated. "Go ahead."

He fidgeted nervously.

"One or two articles from Latham Weekly had mentioned that you were the daughter of an infamous thief," the youth said slowly. "Is...is that... true?"

She stared at him for a moment, then gave a slow nod.

"It is." Jill answered. "Before I joined S.T.A.R.S., I used to carjack and steal with my father when I was in my teens. Door locks, safe vaults, security systems - nothing could stop us from getting what we wanted."

"You sound oddly proud."

Jill shrugged. "What can I say? Puzzles and challenges are my fortes."

"But surely there were other ways you could have used those problem-solving skills for means other than crime at the time."

The Alpha gave the albino a hard glare, causing him to flinch. She didn't like the judgmental tone he was using. Not. One. Bit.

"How dare you lecture me," she said lowly. Jill felt so angry that she started to raise her voice, her face flushed, "Who do you think you are?! Just who the _hell_ do you think you are?! Who are you to judge me and my father?! Did you have to live in a rundown shithole with barely enough to feed yourself and your family?! No! _You_ were able to afford university! My father is a good man! A man who was trying to provide for his daughter, ME! Nobody wants to employ an ex-con, so what choice did he have?! If you can't accept that, then you and everyone else can go to hell!"

Turning away, she stormed off, leaving the albino stunned. Shaking off his shock, the youth quickly followed after her.

"Wait. Wait!"

"Leave me alone!" Jill fumed, refusing to look at him.

"Officer Valentine please! Just wait!"

The B&E specialist halted, watching Star as he guiltily lowered his head in shame.

"...I...I was unfair to you," he said hesitantly. "...I'm sorry."

Jill said nothing.

"It had never been my intention to shame you or your father. I was being insensitive. I'm sorry."

She stared at him quietly, then turned away. "Fine."

The survivors continued on in silence, the air thick with tension.

"...The reason," Star spoke up, drawing Jill's attention, "why I brought that up was because...well...you were one of the deciding factors in my wanting to apply for S.T.A.R.S."

The Alpha whipped her head around to face him so quickly that it was a wonder her head hadn't flown right off.

"W-What?!" she said in shock.

The albino lowered his eyes.

"...One of the things I've always pondered about myself growing up was my...true nature. I mean, was I scarred because I was a criminal, and these marks were a way of tallying my sins? Am I...evil?"

As Jill listened, she found her anger dissipating at the sight of the youth. Despite his freakish height and appearance, he looked younger, like a little boy. Vulnerable.

"When I read the article about you," Star continued slowly and uncertainly, "you cannot imagine the sheer sense of...amazement and wonder that I felt. You had grown up with a criminal background...but you were able to overcome that and find your place in society. It was so...inspirational, that it made me wonder if-if it were possible for me as well to do the same. To find acceptance and...well...redemption, I suppose. For who I was. For...what I was."

The youth said the last part quietly, holding one arm.

"...If it...if it happens to be the case...that I _have_ been a criminal and that Father...sent me away because of my crimes, I'll do...I'll do whatever it takes to win back his favor. If he wants no part of me, though...if he despises me..." he faltered, his shoulders sagging, "then...then I'll trouble him no more...and go back to Arkham."

Jill quietly and sadly regarded Star as he murmured those words, the last part coming out so softly that she had to strain herself to hear it.

_'He honestly believes that he is at fault.'_ She thought to herself.

Jill shook her head.

"Wow." she said breathlessly. "I have to say, you really have a way of catching people off-guard." Her features softened. "For what it's worth, big guy, I don't think you have to worry about Wesker rejecting you. Whether he is your father or not, he really is a nice guy, and from what I've seen so far, the apple doesn't seem to fall far from the tree."

The albino hummed.

"And for the record," the Alpha continued, "you have waaaaaaaaaay to high an opinion of me. I'm not as noble as you make me out to be."

Star studied her. "What made you decide on becoming a police officer, then?"

"Money."

He raised a questioning brow.

Jill sighed.

"Actually...I made my father a promise," she admitted. "He didn't want me to follow in his footsteps, and because of that, I had to clean up my act. So, I joined the police."

Star looked interestedly at her.

"Is it possible for someone with a criminal record to join?"

"Yeah. Provided that it's nothing too serious."

He looked aside thoughtfully.

"Huh. Uh, forgive me," the albino apologized. "I was just...kind of surprised you would be allowed to do so."

Valentine laughed.

"You and me both. It was actually your father who allowed me the opportunity to get into S.T.A.R.S. in the first place. When I interviewed him, I gave some bullshit story about my being a Delta soldier, but your dad saw right through it. He knew of my father's criminal background. Hell, he knew of _mine_...but...he didn't let that stop him."

A wistful smile formed as she reminisced. "He wanted me on the team, regardless of who or what I was. He didn't even want me to hide that part of me."

"Really? Why?"

She turned to look at the albino youth, holding up her chin. "Because he saw me for what I am - a survivor. In fact, he wanted me to embrace it, be proud of what I am, and because of that I-"

Valentine suddenly blushed, then coughed, looking slightly away.

"...I...uh...I..owe him everything." she said in a soft and low voice.

Star gave a small smile, nodding thoughtfully.

"The more I hear about him, the more I want to meet him." he replied in wonder. He then looked at her anxiously, dropping the smile. "Is he...is he a kind man?"

She nodded. "He is, although he likes to put on a tough front."

"You must have been overjoyed to have been accepted."

Valentine grinned. "You have no idea."

The albino paused.

"Out of curiosity...did you feel...redeemed?"

The Alpha considered the question.

"I..._guess?_" she answered. "To be honest, I wasn't really looking for redemption. I was looking for a paycheck and steady employment. At least I'm not pole-dancing."

Star blinked questioningly.

"...'Pole-dancing'?" he repeated. "What's that?"

Jill blinked in surprise. "You've never heard of it?"

The albino had a blank look on his face, looking legitimately confused.

She cleared her throat.

"Never mind, sweety."

Star shifted uncomfortably, carefully considering the wording of his next question.

"...Have….people learned to forgive and look past what you were?" he queried.

Jill turned in his direction, causing the albino to recoil.

"I-I was only curious," he said timidly.

She regarded the red-clad figure, then looked away.

"...No. Not everyone. Hell, some just won't stop reminding me."

"...Doesn't it," he began in an uncertain tone, "...bother you to...to have the shadows of both your father's crimes as well as your own hanging over you?"

She considered it, then relented. "A little."

Star anxiously looked at her.

"...Suppose..." the youth paused, then frowned.

"...Yes?"

The albino bit his lower lip, then exhaled.

"...Suppose...that...I were a criminal myself in some earlier part of my life but I can't remember," he said slowly, "do you have any advice in terms of...how to properly deal with that?"

Jill shrugged.

"I'm afraid I can't really answer that with a hundred percent certainty. I'm still having trouble with that part of myself, unfortunately. Sorry." She then looked at him considerately. "That said, I do have some advice, though."

Jill then looked meaningfully at the albino as he listened intently. "Don't apologise for what you are. Not unless you really have to and someone gets hurt."

He considered it for a moment, then nodded.

The duo continued on, lost in thought. A few moments later, they stopped, listening.

"You hear that?" he asked.

Jill nodded. "Sounds like...music."

She listened to the lyrics as they echoed down the halls.

_"'Winter is here again oh Lord_  
_Haven't been home in a year or more_  
_I hope she holds on a little longer_

_Sent a letter on a long summer day_  
_Made of silver, not of clay_  
_Ooh, I've been runnin' down this dusty road._

_Ooh, the wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'_  
_I don't know where I'll be tomorrow_  
_Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'.'"_

"Sounds like it's coming from the bar," she commented. "Come on, let's check it out."

* * *

Star tilted his head as the song continued to play, listening as he and Valentine entered the bar.

_"'I've been trying to make it home_  
_Got to make it before too long_  
_Ooh, I can't take this very much longer, no_

_I'm stranded in the sleet and rain_  
_Don't think I'm ever gonna make it home again_  
_The mornin' sun is risin', it's kissing the day_

_Ooh, the wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'_  
_I don't know where I'll be tomorrow_  
_Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'.'"_

Valentine looked around. "Guys? Rebecca? Chris?"

_"'My, my, my, my, my,'" the jukebox sang, _  
_"'For tomorrow._

_Oh, the wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'_  
_Ooh, I don't know where I'll be tomorrow_  
_Wheel in the sky keeps me yearning_  
_Ooh, I don't know, I don't know_

_Oh, the wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'_  
_Ooh, I don't know where I'll be tomorrow_  
_Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'_  
_Ooh, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know_

_Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'_  
_Don't know where I'll be tomorrow_  
_Ooh, the wheel in the sky keeps turnin'_  
_Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin.'"_

Star peered into the hidden room, watching with loathing as the creatures wandered aimlessly around through the window.

"Doesn't look like anyone is here," he commented. "I'm guessing the jukebox was malfunctioning."

Valentine shook her head. "Figures."

The albino sighed.

"So where do we go now?" he muttered.

As if on cue, a series of loud thuds clomped around somewhere upstairs, causing the two survivors to look up as it passed overhead.

"We could try the east wing," the Alpha suggested nervously. "I know there are rooms we haven't explored there, plus it will give us a chance to get away from Stompy McStomperton up there."

He nodded in agreement. "Good point."

The survivors hurried away, moving as quickly and as quietly as possible to avoid getting attention.

* * *

Stepping back into the entrance hall, Jill followed close beside the albino. She glanced around, frowning at the bodies that dotted the floor.

"What happened here?" she wondered.

"Father had dealt with them earlier," Star answered.

Jill looked at him in surprise.

"Did he say anything to you?"

He shifted nervously. "No, he didn't see me. I had been hiding upstairs when I saw him. I wanted to help him, but..."

He trailed off, looking down sadly.

Jill studied him. "How long ago was this?"

Star shrugged. "I don't know. An hour? An hour and a half? To be honest, I'm not too sure. Time feels slow here."

Jill scoffed.

"No kidding." She gave a slight smile. "Still, it's good news. If he's still alive and kicking, then there's hope for us to get out of here yet."

Star said nothing, his eyes anxious.

"Hey," Jill said softly, touching his arm. "Don't worry. I know you're nervous about meeting your father, but it's going to be okay, big guy."

He looked at her. "You think so?"

She smiled warmly. "Definitely. Let's just-"

Just as the duo were half-way through, a loud crack sounded, a hole appearing on the floor to the boy's left, startling the pair.

"TAKE COVER!" Jill yelled as she simultaneously pushed down on the albino's shoulder and raised her pistol, searching for hostiles. Looking up, she saw a shadowy figure armed with a Smith and Wesson Colt Anaconda kneeling behind a set of rails. Training her weapon on him, she steadied her aim. "I am Officer Jill Valentine of S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team. Drop the weapon now or I will open-"

The figure took no notice of her and fired again, causing her and her albino companion to retreat behind a column.

"Who the hell would be shooting at us?!" Jill exclaimed as she exchanged fire with the unknown hostile up above.

* * *

Star was still as gunfire filled the room, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder.

* * *

_He watched as the door of a house to the right flew open. _

_"NO! NO! HELP! HELP!" A boy no more than ten years old screamed as he ran, chased outside by a bloated shirtless zombie that resembled a luchador, its pink gums, yellow-stained teeth and crazed pale eyes the only features that were exposed beneath its black cowl. _

_Exchanging puzzled looks with James, he open-fired, the shots punctuating the air like a violent symphony, the target's body twitching and moving in an erratic, ungraceful and morbid "dance" with every puncture made into its strange flesh. _

* * *

The albino jerked back to reality with a shout as a shot nearly took off his head, shattering a piece of the column that he hid behind.

"Stay low!" Valentine said as she pushed him down.

* * *

Jill waited until she heard the hostile's weapon emptied. Moving out from behind cover, she raised her weapon. Then, just as she was about to take aim, the hostile wavered unsteadily, causing her to pause as he collapsed backward onto the floor upstairs.

Puzzled, Jill looked around in confusion. She didn't hear gunfire, nor was there anyone around.

"Is he-is he dead?"

"I don't know," Jill replied as she turned to look at him.

Star was sitting down on the floor, shaking and trembling like a leaf, swallowing.

"I was shot at! Oh my god, someone tried to shoot me! Oh my god, somebody just tried to shoot me!" he said shakily as he hyperventilated.

Jill shushed him as she gently put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's over. You're safe now. Breathe slowly, Star, breathe slowly. Breathe with me."

Inhaling through his nose, the albino nervously exhaled.

"Deep breaths, Star. Deep, slow breaths. You're safe now, Star. You're saUGH!"

* * *

Star blinked, then looked up just in time to see Valentine teeter unsteadily on her feet, her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"...Officer?"

She fell forward, causing his pulse to race.

"OFFICER!" Star yelled as he caught her in his arms. Grabbing her radio, he pressed into the receiver. "HELP! HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE, SEND HELP! I NEED MEDICAL ASSIST-"

Star stopped as Valentine's eyes opened. Sighing in relief, he placed the radio back onto Jill's belt.

"You scared me," he said softly.

Valentine said nothing, her face partially shadowed.

"...Officer Valentine?"

Raising her eyes to meet his, Star felt his blood turn cold, a chill running down his spine as a smirk started to form on her face and rendered it into a cruel and ugly mask.

_'Her eyes!'_ the albino stared, startled.

They were completely...empty.

Raising up her hand, Valentine touched his scarred face.

"What are you doing?" Star asked, his voice unrecognizable to himself, nausea and revulsion growing with each stroke.

She said nothing as she ran her thumb against the horizontal and vertical marks on his face. The smirk grew into a horrifying sneer as Valentine raised up her pistol, causing Star's eyes to widen in alarm.

"Whoa, hold on a moment!" Star said shakily as he raised up his hands.

Valentine chuckled as she took out a pair of handcuffs.

"Put them on."

He hesitated. Something was wrong with Valentine. That flatness in her voice...it was like she was mumbling in her sleep. It sounded...dead.

"Why?"

The smile fell.

"I said put them on."

Star stared.

The mouth contorted into an animalistic and wrathful snarl.

"Now!"

Flinching at the sound of her voice, he obeyed, cuffing one wrist. Grabbing the other, she then placed the other cuff on, his arms now behind his back.

"What is this about?"

Valentine said nothing.

It suddenly dawned on the albino.

"...Are you...with Umbrella?"

She scoffed. "Umbrella? Don't make me laugh."

"Then why are you doing this? What's going on?"

The smile returned her lips, causing the albino to pale. It was exactly like how Rebecca had smiled when she demonstrated that...episode.

"...What do you..." Star said in a small voice, "intend...to do?"

The sneer returned. "We wait. We should be getting company at any moment. You'll see soon enough."


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two: Turmoil

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Turmoil**

Fog coiled around Rebecca, painting everything in grey and white as she tried to find her way through the dark wood. Looking anxiously through the trees, the medic swallowed as she continued forward, following the picket fence down a flight of stairs, trying to keep what little courage she had left to push on.

The floor was completely concealed in a thick, cloudy and velvety veil. Looking down, Rebecca saw that the mist went right up to her knees, the rest of her legs disappearing from view. Shakily raising her pistol, the medic squinted and strained her eyes to listen as she continued walking. Overhead, dead tree branches clawed at the sky, looking as if they want to tear away the mist itself.

Something snapped somewhere further in the distance, a tree branch. Pausing in her step, Rebecca waited and listened intently.

Nothing.

Exhaling with a shaky breath, Rebecca continued forward as twigs crunched under her foot as she descended a small slope and approached a pair of iron gates further down.

Pushing through, the medic looked around at the bushes and underbrush. She really hoped there weren't any snakes. Pulling the map out from her pocket, Rebecca studied the layout of the courtyard, then raised her eyes up to scan through the trees around her. So if she took a right through there-

She let out a growl.

"If I ever get my hands on Spencer, I'm gonna kill him," Rebecca muttered aloud.

Something beeped close by, causing her to look up from the map. Folding it up and stuffing it into her pocket, Rebecca listening intently.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?"

Rebecca's heart skipped a beat.

Her radio!

Moving toward some overgrown reeds, Rebecca reached in and felt around with shaking hands.

"Is there anyone there?"

_'Come on, come on!'_ Rebecca urged herself. She had no time to waste! Where is that damn radio?!

Pushing through the various plants, she stopped as she felt something solid, then hastily grabbed hold and pulled it out from the grass.

Wiping some dirt off with her hand and shirt, she raised it up and listened.

"This is Brad. If anyone can hear me, just give me a sign!" the voice pleaded. "Anything."Anxious fingers pressed into the call button.

"This is Rebecca Chambers of Bravo Team!" she said, trying to control herself. "Please come in!"

Dead air played back to her.

"I say again, this is Rebecca Chambers of Bravo Team! Please respond!"

The radio crackled uselessly in her hand.

"For god's sakes, please! We need help!"

Releasing the call button, Rebecca then switched channels. There must be someone who could hear her!

Her radio beeped, causing her to pause.

Lowering her radio, Rebecca swept a hand through her hair.

So much for getting help.

* * *

Joseph groaned as he opened his eyes.

"God...damn it, that hurt!" he muttered.

He was in a dark room with a stone floor.

"Are you okay?" An unfamiliar feminine voice asked.

Lifting up his head in surprise, Joseph's eyes grew large at the smoking hot Asian babe in front of him.

Huminahuminahumina!

She was tall, about five-nine, with shoulder-length, strikingly crimson hair, her piercing golden amber eyes coolly watching him in a detached manner. Her slender and athletic form was concealed in a tight-fitting black and grey sleeveless catsuit, with knee high black boots and grey leggings, her forearms clad in long grey and black fingerless gloves.

Despite the form-fitting outfit, Joseph could tell that this woman wasn't some S&M hooker. From the holster strapped to her hip, the SPAS-12 in her hands and the way she held it, combined with the way she observed him, the woman was clearly some sort of operative. A soldier.

"Uhh...hi?" he said uncertainly.

The woman coolly regarded him.

"You don't look like Ibis Island security," she commented. "Who are you?"

He shook his head, clearing his throat.

"I'm Joseph Frost, Vehicle Specialist for S.T.A.R.S," Joseph replied.

The woman frowned. "'S.T.A.R.S.'?"

"'Special Tactics and Rescue Services.'"

She shook her head in response.

"Never heard of it."

"I'm a police officer at the Raccoon City Police Department."

The woman scoffed, smiling doubtfully.

_Sweet baby Jesus, she is hot hot HOT!_

"You cannot be serious," she said. "'Raccoon City'? That's a thing?"

Joseph shrugged.

"That's the closest city near here, sweetheart," he replied, "plus I do have my badge to prove it."

Her smile dropped.

"Don't call me sweetheart." she said sternly, training her weapon on him. "Take out your badge. Slowly."

Joseph obeyed, reaching into his pant pocket, pulling it out. Taking it from his hand, the woman studied his ID.

"Huh. So there is such a place," she muttered. "Go figure."

"Now that you know my name, could you tell me yours, pretty lady?" he asked, putting on his most charming smile.

The woman raised her eyes, unimpressed.

"What happened?" she asked, avoiding the question as she gave him back his wallet.

He shrugged.

"I have no idea," Joseph replied. "I was with my buddies one moment, the next I woke up here." Joseph then looked at her from top to bottom. "You're clearly a soldier. Who are you with? The Army?" A sudden thought occurred to him, his eyes narrowing. "...Umbrella?"

The woman's brows knitted together in confusion.

"'Umbrella'?"

"You heard me," he pressed, his voice laced with a slight edge. "You're one of their hired thugs, aren't you? You're here to cover up what your bosses have done, to make sure there are no witnesses or evidence to incriminate your damn company!"

The redhead raised up her hand.

"Whoa, I have no idea what you're talking about," she leaned forward. "I am not tied to Umbrella."

"Then who are you?"

The woman is quiet for a moment, then closed her eyes, relenting.

"My name is Regina," the woman answered. "I'm a government agent on assignment."

Joseph blinked.

"A government agent? What...who do you work-"

"That's classified information," Regina interrupted, looking at him intently. "What can you tell me about them? What's going on?"

Before he even had a chance to respond, he heard clacking. Turning to the source, he heard a loud hiss as something tackled straight into him, knocking him off his feet with a grunt. Looking up, all Joseph saw was a mouthful of sharp scaly teeth as he pushed, punched and kicked at the thing, trying to avoid its bite and sharp claws.

"GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!"

He heard the crack of the SPAS-12, the blast knocking his attacker with such force that it collapsed onto its side.

Rolling away and drawing up his weapon, Joseph suddenly paused at the sight of his attacker, his brain struggling to catch up with him.

"Wha?" he sputtered uncomprehendingly.

It was big, about six feet tall, with a long whip-like tail, a lizard-like head, long legs and strong three-clawed forearms, the claws on its hind limbs sharp, with a curved sickle-like blade jutting out from the big toe of each foot. Its hide was a dull orange with black stripes on its back with specks of green, its belly white.

"Are you kidding me?" he murmured. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

He stared as the animal writhed on the ground, not even reacting as the shotgun fired again.

Finally, the animal stopped, a pool of blood oozing out of its wounds onto the floor.

Joseph continued to stare.

"...That's...um...are you kidding me?"

The redhead nodded wordlessly.

"That's-that's...that's a dinosaur."

Regina nodded again.

And not just _any_ dinosaur - it was one that Joseph recognized instantly from the Jurassic Park movies; a Velociraptor.

"...That's...a _dinosaur_." he repeated with emphasis.

She frowned. "You already said that."

It was then that he exploded, "Why is there a fucking dinosaur around here?! What, Umbrella is creating their own dinosaur army now?!"

Regina shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she replied as she stared at the animal. Raising her eyes to meet his, the woman looked at him seriously. "What do you know about Dr. Kirk?"

Joseph frowned. "Nothing. Never even heard of him 'til now. I can tell you what I do know, though, but it's not much."

She nodded, encouraging him to continue.

He cleared his throat.

"Uh, just to let you know, what I'm going to say will sound crazy."

She raised a brow, then looked back to the dinosaur.

"...I think it's safe to say that we've already passed 'crazy' at this point."

He scoffed.

"Well, what I'm about to tell you is even crazier."

The woman blinked in surprise as she turned to face him.

"It does?"

Joseph nodded. "Yeah."

Regina leaned in.

"Try me. Tell me everything you know."

* * *

"...ecca, respond..."

Rebecca's heart fluttered as she quickly raised up her radio.

Captain Wesker!

"Captain? Captain!" she called into the speaker.

"..are you doing all the way...woods outside the mansion?...monster in chains... ...out of there!"

Rebecca's heart sang.

_He really does care about me!_

"Captain can you hear me?" Rebecca said frantically. "Captain!"

The signal died.

"Damn!"

Lowering her radio, she peered around, squinting through the fog. He must have seen her, but where was he? If only she could find out where she was.

* * *

Star kneeled uncomfortably on the floor, staring up at Valentine as she pointed the gun at his head. Swallowing, he forced himself to meet her cold sneer with a glare.

"If you are going to kill me, do it already," he said sharply.

The woman laughed, the sound sending unpleasant shivers down Star's back.

"Ohh, how I would love to," "Jill" said as she pressed the weapon into his forehead. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid circumstances make it difficult for me to do that."

Star blinked.

"What do you mean?" he asked, puzzled.

Her sneer grew. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

The albino averted his eyes away from her smile. For a moment, he was reminded of a snake baring its fangs.

_'Don't pay attention to it,'_ he told himself. Don't pay attention to it.

"What are we waiting for exactly?" Star asked, staring to the floor.

"Hm, you'll see. In the mean time, I'm going to enjoy torturing you, little Star. I look forward to seeing your mind crumble into nothing, you worthless little spawn." "Valentine" spat.

He hesitated.

'Little Star'? What-

Hearing a groan, Star looked up in surprise as the woman's eyes rolled back into her head, her form wavering before collapsing onto the floor in a heap. He waited a second, then a minute.

"...Officer Valentine?"

She lay on the floor unresponsive. Star could see that the Alpha was breathing, but she seemed to be unconscious.

Inching forward, he turned his back toward her. If he could just reach and grab the keys to the handcuffs, then he could-

Star paused, then frowned.

How would he be able to know? His hands have been ruined, and because of that, he can't feel anything with them. He wouldn't be able to discern a key from empty air, and given the awkward position he was in, Star highly doubted that he would be able to look over his shoulder and fish around for them at the same time.

Star's frown grew. This was going to be much, _much_ more challenging than anticipated.

Somewhere up above, a gruff groan drew his attention.

Star swallowed. Shit, of all the times for their assailant to wake up!

Pushing himself up to his feet, the albino watched the figure nervously up above as he rose up.

"Jesus, what the hell happened to me?"

The hooded albino blinked, recognizing the voice.

"...Officer Aiken?" he called.

The figure turned to look over the railing down below. "Wolf? Is that you?"

Star nodded.

"Yes! Yes it is! I'm here with Officer Valentine!"

Aiken looked around.

"How did I get here?"

"I don't know," Star said slowly, "but you had been shooting at us."

The Bravo stared at him in shock. "WHAT?!"

Star nodded.

"It's true." he said cautiously, carefully observing him.

"Shit," Aiken swore. "Where is she?"

"She's just passed out," the albino assured. "You didn't hit either of us, but I have to admit you gave me one hell of a fright!"

Aiken stared, completely stunned.

"I-I don't even remember doing that!" he said in incredulity. "God, I swear I never meant to hurt anyone!"

From his tone, he really seemed to have no recollection of it happening. Even more, he genuinely seemed distressed by the news.

"What was the last thing you remember?" Star asked.

"I-I was in a room with a tiger statue on the radio. I had found a new weapon when I just...suddenly...blacked out." Aiken said slowly. "I don't remember anything else."

Star's brows furrowed in confusion.

What the hell was going on?

He paused. Wait a minute.

"You said you had been on the radio," Star recounted. "Who with?"

Aiken shook his head.

"I don't know," the Bravo said as he massaged his head. "Never got his name, but man do I have a headache right now."

Star mentally made note of that.

So, sleepwalking, headaches, disorientation...

The albino paused.

Could these be warning signs of T-Viral infection?

"Wait a minute," he heard Aiken say slowly. "Are you in handcuffs?"

Lifting his eyes to meet his, Star nodded.

"I am, but I swear I had done nothing wrong! You have to get me out of these!"

Aiken's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why are you in handcuffs?"

"I don't know!" Star answered. "After you shot at us, you passed out, and then Officer Valentine just suddenly decided to hold me at gunpoint and forced me to put them on! I think she's gone crazy! Get me out of these things before she wakes up!"

The Bravo hesitated, then proceeded down the stairs. Upon arriving at Star's position, Aiken paused.

"Where's Jill?" he asked.

Star blinked. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Where is she?"

"She's passed out right over-" Star stopped as he turned to the spot where she lay, only to find her gone. "What the hell?"

Circling around the columns, the albino checked around. "She had been here a few seconds ago!"

He was certain she hadn't gotten up - in fact, he barely moved from his spot. There was no way she could have left without him noticing, nor would she have been able to open any of the doors without drawing attention.

So where the hell could she have gone?

Aiken's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"What did you do to her?!" he demanded.

Star looked back at him. "What?"

He was caught off-guard as Aiken suddenly grabbed him by the coat.

"What have you done?!"

"I didn't do anything!" Star snapped. "She was right there!"

"Then where did she go?"

"I don't know!"

"Don't give me that crap!" Aiken retorted.

"It's not!" Star countered. "She's gone, just like the others! Like Rebecca!"

Aiken froze.

"What did you say?"

The albino swallowed.

The Bravo narrowed his eyes. "What happened to Rebecca?"

Star opened his mouth, then frowned. "I...I don't know. She...she just disappeared."

The albino shifted under Aiken's glare.

"What do you mean she just disappeared?!" the latter demanded.

"I mean she just disappeared! Something dragged her off!"

"Bullshit!" Aiken spat. "Tell me what really happened!"

"I told you, I don't know!" Star growled in frustration. "I had been calling for help, but neither your nor the others responded!"

Aiken continued to glare at him, his grip tightening on the youth's coat as he leaned in.

"You better tell me what you know, Wolf. Right. Fucking. Now!"

"I told you! I! Don't! Know!"

"Stop playing dumb!"

"You are one to talk!" Star retorted. "How do I know _you_ aren't some Umbrella spy and one of your cronies came in to snatch the others away?! How do I know that _you_ haven't killed them?!"

Aiken glared, faltering slightly.

"Run that by me again?"

"You heard me." Star challenged, his eyes mere slits. "The last time I saw you, you were in the library, and the next time we meet, you're shooting at me! And now that Officer Valentine is out of the way, you intend to finish the job with me and kill Father!"

Aiken's mouth tightened along with the grip on his coat. He looked like he wanted to hit Star, and Star for his part _really_ felt like hitting back, if only out of anger and frustration. The two eyed each other for a moment, and then the Bravo shoved him away, causing Star to stumble back.

"I am not, nor will I _ever,_ be part of Umbrella," Aiken declared. "I don't know who or what the hell _you_ are, but if I find out that you laid a hand on any of my friends-"

"_If I laid hands on them?! I_ have been _searching_ for them!" Star snapped back, his sharp teeth bared. "What were _you_ doing, hm? Where were _you_ when Rebecca and I were screaming for help?! You dare to accuse _me_ of treachery when all you did was sit on your ass while people are dying all around us?!"

The albino's head jerked to the side violently as Aiken violently struck him, his lip stinging.

Tears formed in the corners of his eyes as he tasted copper.

Looking back to Aiken, he watched as the police officer gave a look of horror, realizing what he had just done.

"Oh god," he said slowly, continuing softly, "I...I'm sorry."

Sniffling, Star tightened his mouth, wiping the free-flowing blood from the cut on his upper lip on the collar of his coat, using every ounce of willpower he had not to cry, not to show his tears.

"Does-does that make you feel better?" Star said with a trembling voice. "I would..._never_...hurt any of them, Rebecca especially." He hesitated. "Not...intentionally."

The two regarded each other for a moment.

Aiken looked away.

"We're wasting time," he shook his head.

"...Agreed," Star nodded, sniffing. "Let me out of these cuffs-"

"They're staying on." Aiken interrupted.

"What?"

"Until I know for certain that you've had nothing to do with their disappearance, those cuffs aren't going anywhere, and neither are you."

Star stared.

"You can't do this."

"Watch me."

"Let me come with you! I need to find Rebecca and Father!"

Aiken turned away.

"Stay here. If you see or hear anything, hide. _I'm_ going to find my friends."

As the Bravo disappeared through one of the nearby doors, Star struggled to keep himself under control, the boy sniffing as he scrunched up his face. When he was sure that nobody was around, he allowed his tears to trickle down his scarred cheeks.

* * *

Rebecca eyed the various gravestones strewn about. While wandering along, the medic found herself in some sort of graveyard. There were headstones everywhere of all shapes and sizes, some possessing elaborate designs and reliefs, most of them covered by long grass. Several of them had passages written in some unknown language, probably Greek, but she couldn't be sure.

_'I'll have to ask Star to translate this stuff,'_ Rebecca thought to herself.

Two gravestones in particular overshadowed the rest in the center, with small fences built around them. Crows sat perched nearby, cawing darkly as they eyed her. Rebecca stared at the birds anxiously, keeping her movements slow.

_'Their eyes...'_

The damn things must have been feasting on infected flesh.

As long as she didn't run, she should be safe.

Looking around at the graves, Rebecca allowed her eyes to wander.

_'So many people!'_ she thought to herself in horror.

Had these all been Umbrella's victims?

Rebecca shook her head sadly. So many ruined lives, so many ruined families.

As that thought crossed her mind, Rebecca felt tears form in the corner of her eyes.

If this many people had died, be it from trying to escape this place or just from Umbrella's hand, what hope did she have in escaping herself?

As she stepped past the two prominent gravestones, Rebecca paused. On the right gravestone was an inscription: "When the wind sweeps across the earth, the stars will shine in the heavens." On the left gravestone were three indentations with a couple of symbols - two vertical lines, a cross, and three horizontal lines. Before Rebecca had a chance to scrutinize them, she heard Lisa let out an enraged yell, drawing her attention.

"REEEEEDDDDDD...MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNN!"

Rebecca cringed as Lisa's cries echoed. God, those sounds!

Just what did she mean by-?

Rebecca paused.

Wait..."Redman"...

Could she be after Chris? After all, his last name _was_ "Redfield".

If so, she'll need to get to him before Lisa does herself.

Sighing, Rebecca listened to the wretched woman's cries and followed in the direction they came from, hoping that she'll be able to make it in time.

* * *

Rebecca followed the cries, twisting and turning along various paths. It wasn't hard for her to find Lisa - all she had to do was follow the sounds of her grunting and chain rattling. She kept her distance, but she followed after her.

A low moan from a thicket to her left caused her to leap back in surprise as a figure suddenly sat up. Raising her pistol, she aimed.

"God...damn it!" he muttered, reaching for his head.

She paused, recognizing the voice. "...Chris?"

Hearing her, the figure turned his head, looking in her direction.

"Rebecca? Is that you?" Chris called.

"Yeah!" she nodded, lowering her weapon as she approached him.

"What are you doing out here, Rebecca?" the Alpha asked.

"I should be asking you two the same thing," the medic replied, kneeling down beside him. "Are you hurt?"

Chris shrugged.

"Just a slight headache, but I'm okay," he answered, massaging his forehead. "God, what the fuck was that?! I feel like I've been run over by a train!"

"I can imagine," Rebecca nodded. She looked around. "Where are the others?"

The Alpha grunted as he pushed himself off the ground, picking up his pistol.

"Last thing I remember was that I was meeting Jill in the dining room," Chris said as he dusted himself off. "Everything else was a blur." He gave her a concerned look. "What about you?"

Before Rebecca had a chance to answer, the sounds of chains rattling somewhere far off caught the duos' attention, followed by Lisa's haunting cries of rage.

"RRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDD...…..MMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAN!"

Chris stared in the direction where the noise came from, his form stiff, weapon raised.

"...The hell was that?!" he demanded.

"You don't want to know," Rebecca answered. "I think it's looking for you."

"RRRREEEEEDDDD...MMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAN!"

"If she is, then whoever...or whatever that is is looking in the wrong direction." Chris stared. "It sounds like it's heading further away from us. I say we go opposite of where it's going and avoid it at all costs."

"Agreed," Rebecca nodded. "The question is, where do we go?"

Chris opened his mouth, then frowned.

"...Crap." He squinted through the trees surrounding them. "Any idea where the hell we are?"

"I found a map over at a cabin," Rebecca said, taking the slip of paper out from her pocket and unfolding it. "Apparently we're in the courtyard, but as to where exactly we are or how to get back...I don't know."

The Alpha Point Man moved closer, shifting his attention to the sheet.

"Let me see." Unfolding it, Chris studied it for a moment, then looked around. "I think we need to head..."

He frowned.

"What?" Rebecca said worriedly.

"You are not going to like this," he said slowly, "but...I think it's in the direction where that thing is headed."

Rebecca felt all the color and warmth leave her, her stomach cramping up.

* * *

**Elsewhere...**

They clustered around the massive fence, screaming, wailing and moaning, a hellish chorus of the hungry damned that stared into the fenced-off property, their mouths watering.

From in front of the fence, a clawed hand pushed its way out from the soil, then grasped onto nearby grass for support.

* * *

The subordinate raised his head from the screen.

"Sir, we have a situation! The strays have breached the outer perimeter!"

"No, no, no, no, NO!" Curien snarled, his black sunglasses shining with a bluish hue. "God damn it!"

* * *

From a nearby tree, Hanged Man Type-041 sat perched at the end of a branch when his earpiece went off.

"Hanged Man Type-041, we have Code Red!" his master commanded. "I repeat, a Code Red! We need you to return back to base as soon as possible!"

Nodding in affirmation, the creature leapt up into the air, spreading its wings.

* * *

"LOOK!" Chris yelled, pointing to something in the sky.

Rebecca looked to where he pointed, her eyes widening as she caught sight of a giant humanoid bird as it glided through the air.

"My god, what is that?!" she gasped.

"That's the fucker that took Forest," Chris snarled. Raising his pistol, he carefully aimed. "You're not getting away this-"

No sooner had the words left Chris' mouth when the sky crackled with pink electricity.

The Alpha blinked. "What the fuck?"

Pink lightning flashed down to some distant point, striking the ground some meters away.

"What's going on?! What the hell's happening?!"

Rebecca could only stare and watch as the bizarre phenomena played out in front of her, watching as the air shimmered and distorted. A small ball of crackling pink electricity started to enlarge itself, rising up into a four meter wall of energy. When it had finished forming, the bird creature swooped down, disappearing into the wall. A minute or so later, the wall dissipated, leaving no evidence of its existence, let alone the creature's.

Rebecca swallowed, then stumbled down onto the earth floor in shock, her eyes comically wide.

"What was that?!" Chris demanded. "What the fuck was that?!"

"They weren't kidding!" Rebecca murmured softly. "It really _was_ pink lightning!"

The Point Man looked at her.

"What are you talking about, Rebecca?" Chris asked.

She shook her head.

"You know that pink lightning I told you guys about earlier?"

He stared in shock. "Don't tell me that-"

Rebecca scoffed.

"Apparently that's it." She shook her head dazedly. "I never thought it would be literal pink lightning! I thought it was Umbrella's stealth helicopter or something, but that! It's just...so..."

Chris stared to the spot where the pink wall of energy and the creature had been.

"Just what are we dealing with, Rebecca?"

For once in her life, Rebecca was at a complete loss of words.

"...I don't know."

* * *

When he finally finished, Regina stared at him in disbelief.

"So, let me get this straight," she started, "Umbrella is a pharmaceutical company conducting illegal experiments...and...they're producing...zombies, monsters and viruses for the military?"

"Yeah! I couldn't believe it myself!" Joseph nodded. "Not too long ago I thought it was cultists."

"And...these same creatures include ones named after Tarot cards." she deadpanned. "And they come out from a pink lightning."

He shrugged.

"Apparently. And now dinosaurs." Joseph said, pointing to the dead raptor on the floor.

Regina pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Hoo. You know how to wind a girl," she commented.

Joseph grinned.

"And that's just with my pants on." he replied, not missing a beat.

Regina rolled her eyes.

"You're awful." She folded her arms together. "Strange. There was no mention of a city here on Ibis Island."

Joseph looked at her in confusion.

"Sorry, where?" he asked.

"Ibis Island." Regina repeated. "Don't you know where you are?"

He stared at her for a moment, then shook his head.

"I think you might be a bit mixed up, lady," he said. "This is the Arklay Mountain region in Colorado."

"Colorado!" she exclaimed. "But that can't be! Ibis Island is located in the South Sea!"

Joseph raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You're serious? How did you do get over here, then? What, were you shot out of a cannon?" he asked.

Regina scowled.

"This doesn't make any sense," she said aloud. She then looked at him. "Can I see your wallet again? There has to be some sort of mistake."

Joseph shrugged.

"Okay." he said, taking out his wallet again, handing it back to her.

He watched as Regina opened it up and scrutinized its contents, then frowned.

"Nice try, 'Joseph' or whoever you are, but your ID is fake," she said, tossing the wallet back to him, aiming her SPAS-12 at him.

"Whoa, what are you talking about?" Joseph said in confusion, raising up his hands.

"The date is wrong, genius," Regina said disdainfully.

Joseph frowned, opening up his wallet.

"There's nothing wrong with it." he shook his head.

"Come on, what do you take me for, a moron?!" Regina snapped. "_1998_?"

"Well, duh!" Joseph retorted. "That's the year!"

The red head faltered. "What?"

"You heard me. Crazy broad."

Regina stared.

"...What date is it?"

"Why?"

"What date is it?" Regina pressed.

"July 24th."

She looked at him incredulously. "But...that's not possible."

"Why not?" Joseph asked.

"It's...May 4th...2009."


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three: Strange Encounters

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Strange Encounters**

Joseph stared at the redhead, his mind reeling from her admission.

"...I'm sorry...what?" he said dumbly.

Regina shook her head. "You heard me. It's supposed to be May 2009."

The Alpha wiped his forehead.

"Hoo boy, I must be loaded on some serious drugs or something," he commented. "If so, this is one hell of a trip." Joseph then looked at Regina from top to bottom. "Although I do appreciate the view..."

Regina frowned.

God_damn_ she's sexy!

"Be serious."

Joseph laughed. "Are you kidding? How can I? How do I even know you're real?"

Regina sighed, then stepped toward him, pinching his arm.

"Ow!"

"Satisfied now?"

Rubbing his sore arm, a thought occurred to him. Closing his eyes, he cleared his throat.

"Doesn't prove anything," Joseph replied.

"And what will convince you?"

He pretended to think about it.

"Hmm, what about...a kiss?" he said, putting on his most charming smile.

Regina shook her head.

"Ah, what's the use? You're hopeless." she sighed.

"Hopelessly in love!" Joseph blurted out.

He suddenly froze as Regina raised a questioning delicate brow, taking a slightly irked step back.

"...I just said that aloud, didn't I?" The Alpha muttered.

"...Yeah."

Joseph smiled as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Uhh, sorry about that."

The redhead pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Let's just find a way out of here." Regina said in exasperation.

He cleared his throat. "Yeah."

* * *

Curien watched as the subordinate looked up from the monitors.

"Sir, I'm getting some temporal anomalies. Multiple signals."

"Damn damn DAMN!" Curien yelled, sweeping both hands through his hair. "I was afraid of something like this happening. Show me where."

* * *

Wandering through the halls, the duo continued on in awkward silence.

"...Sooo..." Joseph began, "...you're from the future."

Regina shrugged. "Apparently."

"...Do we get hovercars?"

She gave him a curious glance. "Sorry?"

"In the future," he clarified. "Do we get flying cars?"

She shook her head. "Afraid not."

Joseph clicked his tongue against his teeth in disappointment.

"Damn. And here I was hoping for a flying motorcycle."

Regina gave a small scoff.

"So who's this 'Dr. Kirk' guy you mentioned?" Joseph asked, changing the subject.

At the mention of the name, Regina gave him a suspicious glance.

"Hey, don't look at me like that, future girl," Joseph said defensively. "You're the one that mentioned him."

She scowled.

"True." she replied.

Joseph sighed.

"Look, I gave you all of the intel I know, so why not give some my way? Could you tell me what is going on?"

The woman shifted uncomfortably, looking as if she were deliberating with herself over whether she should open up.

Relenting, Regina shook her head, exhaling.

"I'm afraid I don't really know," she said honestly. "I had been sent to Ibis Island with a team to find a Dr. Edward Kirk, and now I've been separated from them."

Joseph nodded. "You too, huh?"

The redhead shrugged. "Seems so."

Joseph shook his head.

"Jesus, this night has been one thing after the other," he muttered. "Ever since I discovered my Captain had a kid, it's like everything has become part of the Twilight Zone."

Regina gave him a curious look.

"Am I missing something?" she asked. "What's so odd about that?"

Joseph frowned.

"You've never met Captain Wesker, so you wouldn't know," he replied. "He's one of those guys who seems like he's...too cool to even date anyone. A scary-ass dude with sunglasses. And then I learned he has a son, right after I hit him no less!"

Regina winced. "Ooh."

"Yeah," he nodded. "And his kid...Jesus, Wesker was scary on his own, but his son is fucking terrifying!"

She perked up interestedly.

"Really? Worse than his father?"

Joseph opened his mouth, then paused.

"...Well, he doesn't seem too bad, but physically? Christ!"

"Why?" Regina asked curiously.

"He's an albino. Biiiig fucking guy that's like seven or eight feet tall!" He raised his arm in the air to indicate the aforementioned person's height. "Waaaaay up there!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!" he nodded, bringing his arm back down, "He also has the weirdest eye condition I've ever seen, with sharp dog teeth and is covered in scars!"

"Dog teeth and scars?" Regina repeated.

"Yeah! Like he was-"

It was then that he paused. Something in his mind clicked.

Raising his eyes to meet Regina's, he could see her giving him a concerned look. She didn't have to say anything, and yet Joseph could tell just from looking at her that she seemed to know what he was thinking.

"...Are you even sure that the person you have with you is your Captain's son?" Regina asked in a low voice.

Joseph swallowed. "I...I don't know. Until now, I kind of had been working with the assumption that he is, but with everything that's happening, I-I never made the connection."

His gloved hands felt slick with sweat as he palmed his Mossberg. "You think..."

Regina placed a hand on her chin, then shook her head.

"I can only go off the information that you provided me with," she shrugged, then looked at him seriously, "but if I were you, I'd look into that possibility."

He stared at her for a moment, then gave a slow nod.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Yeah. I should do that."

The duo continued on down the endless corridors.

"So what's the deal with this Dr. Kirk, then? Is he using viral weaponry like Umbrella?"

Regina shook her head.

"No, as far as the intel is concerned, he has not dabbled in any of that," she replied. "Kirk is a renowned physicist, a world leader in his field on energy research. He rose to prominence after publishing his paper on his Third Energy theory at the age of twenty-five."

"..."Third Energy"?"

The redhead frowned.

"To be honest, I'm a bit reluctant to discuss this with you," she said, "partially because you are a civilian, and also because, if what you say is true, you are from the past."

Joseph was starting to get the picture.

"You don't have to worry about me blabbing to anyone. Besides, who the hell is going to believe me when I tell them I fought zombies and dinosaurs in a single night?" he asked. "You can count on me - I can keep my mouth shut." He raised his hand. "Scout's honor."

She raised a brow.

"You were a boy scout?" she stated doubtfully.

"I was." he nodded. "Not a good one, but still, it counts."

Regina studied him for a moment, then looked ahead.

"In my future," she began, "the world's fossil fuels have been drained. Because of that, Nuclear Power - the "Second Energy" - has become a necessity."

Joseph winced. "Ouch. That bad?"

She nodded.

"I'm afraid it is," Regina said sadly. "Because of their hazardous nature, a third means was sought out, one that would be inexhaustible and cleaner, that wouldn't produce harmful waste material."

"And that's where this Third Energy fits in."

"Correct."

"And Kirk found a solution for this?"

"Supposedly. He had been given government backing and was leading the project. When they cut his funding, however, Kirk was reported to have died in a lab explosion in 2006."

Joseph looked at her. "Let me take a gander - he faked his death."

Regina gave a close-mouthed smile.

_Holy fuck SHE'S HOT!_

"Not bad, cave man." The operative replied with an amused glint in her eye.

"Ooh ooh!" Joseph grunted, mimicking a chimp. He then looked at her seriously. "This pink lightning shit I've been telling you about...do you think Kirk's Third Energy research is connected to that?"

Regina thought for a moment, then lowered her chin.

"I don't know. It's possible, but...I don't really know myself." she admitted. "It would seem to be, but I can't say with certainty."

Joseph sighed.

"First I encounter winged dogs, then I discover that my Captain has a mutant kid. Then, the dead come back to life, with monsters coming out the ass, and now dinosaurs. Could our luck get any worse?"

Coming up to a door, the duo leapt back in surprise as it flew open. Two men armed with what looked like futuristic-looking versions of a .44 Magnum quickly stepped through with weapons drawn, causing the two to draw up their own.

Regina glared at her companion. "You and your big mouth."

"What the fuck?" Joseph muttered.

"Hold it right there!" The bigger of the pair spoke.

Joseph and Regina stared at the new arrivals, sharing with each other confused looks briefly before turning their befuddled attention back to their "guests".

The first man was an African American in green combat fatigues with a backwards cap.

The second man, though, was a huge Caucasian fellow with an orange crewcut, his form buff and muscular like a bodybuilder's, looking as though he had been hitting it hard at the gym, probably 6'8 and over two hundred and fifty pounds. Wearing grey pants with kneepads, a brown ammo pouch around his waist and a blue flak jacket with a pair of automatic shotguns strapped to his back, the right side of the man's face had some sort cybernetic implant, the eye glowing red.

"I'm Officer Frost of S.T.A.R.S.! Drop the weapons!" Joseph snapped.

"That's my line, punk! I'm Detective Sergeant Gelzer of the Neo-Raccoon City Police Department!" the big man spoke. "Drop the weapons now or I will start firing!"

Joseph blinked.

"_Neo_-Raccoon City?" he repeated in confusion.

"And here I thought 'Raccoon City' was just plain stupid." Regina quipped.

"Watch your mouth, missy!" The African American snapped. "That's my city you're making fun of!"

The big man, Gelzer, pulled back the hammer.

"You have three seconds to comply." he said, his tone and demeanor leaving no room for doubt.

The two groups stared each other down.

"Three-"

"Wait!" Regina held up a hand. "There's no need for violence. We all got off of the wrongfoot, so why don't we all put our weapons away and talk, alright?"

Gelzer's eye narrowed. "No funny business."

Slowly, everyone withdrew their weapons, though they kept a wary on each other.

"My name is Regina," the redhead introduced herself. "I'm a government agent on assignment."

The African American scoffed. "You got any identification on you?"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't."

"I do, though," Joseph spoke up.

Gelzer turned his eyes over to him, the cybernetic lens narrowing its bright light in his direction.

"Do it slowly."

Joseph chuckled. "That's what she said."

Regina glared, elbowing him as he reached into his pocket. Taking out his wallet, he tossed it over to African American, who caught with one hand. Looking down, he scowled, then handed it to Gelzer beside him.

"What do you think, Gelz?" The man asked.

"Nothing, Dewey," Gelzer replied, shaking his head. "I'm not picking up any record of a "Joseph Frost" anywhere in my database, but then again I've been getting a lot of interference lately." He paused. "Your ID says 1998."

Joseph groaned. "God, not this again!"

"What year is it?" Regina asked.

Both men raised up their heads. "What?!"

"I said what year is it?" Regina pressed.

Gelzer blinked with his one good eye. "What have you been living under, a rock?! It's 2309!"

Joseph's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?!"

"Of course we are!" Dewey retorted.

"Let me see your badge," Joseph demanded.

Gelzer reached into his pocket and pulled open his wallet. Taking it, the Alpha studied its contents.

"'Detective Sergeant Richard Gelzer, Neo-Raccoon City Police Department'...'" He hesitated. "...'S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team'?!"

"Yeah," the big man nodded.

Joseph stared. Who'd have thought there would be a "Neo-Raccoon City" with a similarly named task force no less? And in the year 2309?

"Huh. Well I'll be damned. Who'd have thought," he said as he handed back the wallet.

Regina folded her arms. "Why are you here?"

"My team and I are on a missing persons case," Gelzer explained, putting the wallet back into his pocket. "A woman's son has gone missing and we intend to find and bring him home."

"Why the extra firepower?" Joseph asked, eying the shotguns and various equipment strapped to him. "You fellas look like you're gonna go to war or something."

Dewey frowned. "There had been reports of cult activity in the outskirts of Neo-Raccoon City, so we had to come prepared."

"And let me guess, you were chased by winged dogs, got separated from your team and were forced back to a mansion hidden in the woods, right?" Joseph said sarcastically.

Gelzer and Dewey exchanged looks.

"...How did you know?" The former asked.

Joseph blinked. "Wait, what? The same thing happened to you guys as well?"

"You mean we're not the only ones?" Dewey asked.

"My team were looking into cult activity as well!" The Alpha then hesitated. "...Do you know of a company called Umbrella?"

"Sure we do," Gelzer nodded. "They're one of the most powerful corporations in the world along with Mishima Zaibatsu, DBR, Ultratech, SinTEK and Horzine Biotech."

Regina shook her head. "I've never heard of any of these businesses."

Joseph stared at him, then glanced to Dewey, then looked at Regina. He couldn't possibly be here, listening to a cyborg from the distant future, hanging out with a hot government agent while simultaneously fighting zombies, monsters and dinosaurs.

...Could he?

"Hey boys!"

Whipping around, Joseph and Regina found themselves aiming at an attractive woman with dirty blonde hair, dressed in a red tank top with a black skirt and a red sweater tied around her waist.

Okay, now he was _sure_ he was dreaming.

"What is this, a fashion show?" Joseph muttered, looking her up and down, taking note of her high heels.

The woman had a pistol aimed at them. "Put your weapons down."

"You some sort of model, lady? I think you might be at the wrong place, honey," Joseph replied. "I don't see any catwalk around here."

The woman gave him a steady stare.

"My name is Alice," she introduced. "I'm an Umbrella security guard and I've come to save you-"

No sooner had those words left her mouth when she suddenly burst into flame.

"HOLY SHIT!" Joseph yelled.

The woman, Alice, screamed in agony as she ran around in several different directions trying to douse the fire before collapsing onto the floor in a heap.

_**'She was an annoyance.' **_

Everyone tensed as they all heard the echoing voice from down the hall. It was the scariest sound that Joseph had ever heard in his life; not once could he recall anything that sounded so..._unearthly_.

"The hell was that?!" Dewey said in a frightened tone.

Gelzer frowned. "Shit, I'm getting a lot of interference."

"How do you want to do this?" Joseph anxiously asked Regina.

The redhead kept her weapon trained down the hall.

"Listen, fellas, let's settle our differences later. We've got a problem."

"Agreed." Gelzer nodded. "I'll take point."

"And I'll cover the rear." Dewey added.

Moving down the corridor, the reluctant survivors departed quickly, nervously looking over their shoulders as they fled.

* * *

As he followed close, Joseph cast several glances over at his companions, he regarded each and everyone of them with curiosity.

Was he dreaming?

_'What kind of beer did Kevin give me to come up with something this elaborate?'_ Joseph wondered. Hell, what did he slip into his drink?

If it was a dream, then it was a hell of a trip. He looked at Regina with interest, then concentrated hard.

'_Any moment now, the two dorks with me will disappear and Regina will strip naked and say "Come and take me, big boy!"'_ Joseph thought lecherously.

As if sensing her being stared at, Regina turned, her eyes meeting his.

"...What are you doing?" she said tiredly with her hand on her hip.

He frowned. Damn it, why is it that even his own dreams reject him?

"Sorry," he muttered.

Regina watched him, then turned away.

"See anything, fellas?"

"Negative," Gelzer responded.

"Ah, that's a no." Dewey added.

The group navigated their way through the vast halls, twisting and turning through various doorways and arches.

"Just out of curiosity, Gelzer," Regina spoke up, "you had mentioned that you were looking for someone. Who exactly?"

Reaching into his pocket, the big man took out a small photograph and handed it to her.

"His name is David Giltbert, age 18," he replied. "His mother reported him missing just a few hours ago."

Regina studied the photo, then made a face.

"Ugh!"

"What?" Joseph asked.

She handed the photo to him. "See for yourself."

Taking it, Joseph looked curiously at the picture, then did a double-take.

"What...the...?"

Staring back from the photo was Junior...or someone closely resembling him.

"Holy shit, that's Captain Wesker's son!" Joseph exclaimed.

Everyone whipped around to face him.

"What?! What are you talking about?" Gelzer demanded.

"He's...wait." He brought the photograph closer. "I see some differences, but he looks _exactly_ like a guy I know!"

The Alpha tilted his head at an angle.

"There are..._slight_ differences with how the scars have been cut," Joseph continued, "but...it's so weird! They could be twins!"

Gelzer took a step forward. "Do you know where I can find him?"

Joseph shrugged.

"The last time I saw him, I was at a library. I could try using my radio and see if anyone picks up," he suggested.

"Do it." The words came out as a harsh demand.

"Okay, okay! Jeez." Joseph said with his hands raised.

Bringing up his radio, he tried calling out. Flicking through the channels, he tried again, then shook his head.

"I can't raise anyone," he said regretfully. "I'm getting nothing but dead air."

"I had tried my radio as well," Regina nodded. "I wasn't able to pick up anyone from my team either."

"There must be some way of getting communication around here!" Dewey said in exasperation.

"We'll just have to keep searching." Regina shrugged.

"Agreed." Gelzer replied, nodding. "Let's go."

* * *

The survivors continued down the hall, moving forward until they found themselves standing before a door. Reaching out, Regina was about to grab the handle when a raptor came crashing through, knocking her off her feet.

"REGINA!" Joseph yelled as he charged, firing at the animal alongside the others before tackling straight into it, knocking it off balance. Watching as the raptor struggled to get up, he quickly stuffed the shotgun into its mouth. "Eat this!"

Pulling the trigger, he watched as the animal's head exploded, painting the wall, floor and himself with brain matter.

Dewey eyed the smoking remains of its head. "Ouch."

Ignoring him, Joseph quickly moved to Regina's side to check on her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Regina winced, nodding. "Yeah, just had the wind knocked out of me, that's all."

Helping her up to her feet, Joseph scanned her for injuries.

"Doesn't look like you've been cut." he said. "I think you'll be okay."

Gelzer nodded. "I agree with your assessment. Scans indicate minor bruising."

As she turned to face Joseph , Regina paused.

"...You have some on you," she commented, wiping away some brain matter from his vest and shoulder.

"Oh," Joseph said as he wiped his face. "Yeahhhh, I completely forgot about that. I was more worried about you, to be honest."

Regina let out a slight laugh, causing his heart to flutter.

"Me? You were the one that tackled the raptor!" she giggled.

Joseph grinned, not missing a beat as he added, "You should see me do it naked and in slow motion."

His grin grew larger at the sight of a slight blush crossing her face while Dewey chuckled. Gelzer remained stoic, although a corner of his mouth curled upward in amusement.

"...Annnnd you had to open your mouth," Regina deadpanned, her look softening somewhat. "Thank you, Joseph."

He nodded.

"Anytime," Joseph replied, then gestured to the door. "Shall we?"

"Let's," she nodded back.

* * *

Stepping into the room, the survivors stared silently in awe. It was a massive and spacious black room, hundreds of meters wide and high, all of it colored by the green and blue hues of three dimensional holograms of some sort, each one showing some scene from what appeared to be different time periods.

What caught the groups' attention, however, was a figure in the room's center, suspended high up in the air with his back facing them.

A humanoid being with strong, masculine features and a smoothly metallic and muscled body with spiked elbows, two rows of spike or horn-like appendages trailed all the way to the back of its head like spiked-up hair, while a great, multilayered spiked ring that sparked and crackled with electricity floated freely around its whole being.

Joseph stared at the thing as it studied the various holographic screens and heads-up displays.

Even though the creature...or robot, or whatever the hell it was, had done very little, Joseph felt himself tense up, the hairs on his body rising up as if exposed to static electricity. There was an indefinable quality that put him on edge, something about the very air itself that suggested he was in the presence of something strong. Powerful. Dangerous, even. Looking to the others, Joseph could see on their faces that they seemed equally wary.

The creature remained suspended in the air, staring straight ahead with its back toward them. Then, as if suddenly noticing their presence, it tilted its head slightly, glancing over its shoulder before fully turning around to face them.

The creature's face was stunningly handsome and aristocratic, sculpted with hard features, but its eyes shined with a blueish white electrical light. On its chest was a glowing white symbol - six isosceles triangles surrounding a large circle that must have been a foot in diameter.

_Wait, that emblem-_

_**"You shouldn't be here,"**_ the being spoke, its voice a low but powerfully deep robotic and hissing growl, like a series of electrical coils given voice.

Raising up its hand, Joseph tensed up and raised up his weapon along with everyone else as the spike ring stopped directly over its head. Holograms containing various symbols appeared, and a white column of light shined over each one, reminding Joseph of the gameshow "Wheel of Fortune", only he didn't think the "prizes" being offered were anything that he would want.

"What is it doing?" Dewey asked.

"I don't know," Gelzer said as he raised his pistol, snatching hold of one of the shotguns strapped to his muscular back as he took aim, "but I don't plan on waiting and finding out when that wheel stops!"

The survivors unleashed onto the floating target, their shots echoing and deflecting harmlessly off the creature's metallic body.

The column of light stopped on a particular symbol, representing a portal. The next thing Joseph knew, sections of the ground and floor started to peel away. Dewey disappeared in a flash of white light, then Gelzer.

"JOSEPH!" Regina yelled, reaching out to him before disappearing.

"REGINA NO!" Joseph yelled. Letting out an enraged roar, he raised his weapon and fired at the creature. "Son of a bitch, what did you do?! What did you do to them?!"

He kept unloading into the metallic being until his weapon emptied. The creature merely stared at him, not moving as rounds deflected off of its armored body.

"Bastard!" Joseph roared as he reloaded. "I'm gonna kill you!"

_**"Fear not, Joseph,"**_ the robotic being spoke.**_ "Regina and the others are alive. I merely sent them back to where they belonged. Now it is time for you to go back as well."_**

As the entity raised its hand, Joseph felt the air around him tingle as a blinding white light consumed his vision.

* * *

"Joseph! Joseph?!"

Groggily opening his eyes, Joseph massaged his temples as he stared up at Jill.

"Fuck," he grunted, wincing. "What happened?"

"You fell," Jill replied as she kneeled beside him "Does it hurt?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he waved, sitting up as he rubbed his eyes. "Just a headache. Man, you wouldn't believe the dream I've been having." Joseph paused. "Wait...where are we?"

"We're back at the library." she answered, her nose twitching as she sniffed. "Phew! God, Joseph, you smell!"

He huffed. "Well you exactly don't smell like roses yourself, Jill."

"I'm serious!" she coughed. "You smell like rotten eggs!"

Sniffing the air around him, Joseph then raised up his arms, then, upon noticing a particular stain on his shirt, froze.

"...No way," he muttered quietly. "No fucking way."

"What?" Jill asked.

Pushing himself off the floor, Joseph glanced around questioningly, then sniffed his Mossberg. It had been recently fired. Checking his pockets, he counted up the number of shells he had. As he finished, the Alpha looked around with bulging eyes, his form shaky as he eyed everything around him with suspicion and dread.

"Joseph," Jill said slowly, "...you're scaring me. What is going on?"

_There's no way that had all been real. There's no way in hell all of that had happened._

"Joseph, talk to me."

He remained still for a moment, then swallowed nervously, exhaling shakily through his nostrils as he wiped his sweaty face.

"I don't know what the hell is happening around here, Jill," Joseph started, "but I do know one thing - this place is completely and utterly fucked. We need to get out of here. Right. Now."

Even though he gave no explanation, the urgency in his tone was enough to make Jill drop the subject. At least, for now.

Right now, he wanted to go anywhere but this place. As the survivors quickly hurried to the exit, Joseph gave a slight glance over his shoulder, then suddenly leapt with a start.

"THERE!" He yelled, forcing Jill to whirl around with her weapon raised.

"Where?!" Jill exclaimed.

Joseph stared into the distance, his mouth and eyes gaping wide open in shock. He blinked, then tilted his head, listening, peering around as he eyed the room itself.

"Let's get the fuck out of here," the Alpha said in a hushed, worried voice.

Turning back to the door, he quickened his step out from the room as Jill tried to keep up, his brain trying to process everything.

* * *

Jill watched Joseph with concern as she followed.

"Joseph, for God's sake, you're scaring me," she said. "What is going on?"

He stopped, swallowing anxiously. "...I saw it."

Jill gave a confused look.

"...It-it had been standing- no. I mean.." He shivered, putting a hand over his mouth. "Jesus fuck! It had-it had been _hovering_ just a foot off the fucking ground!" Joseph put a hand to his mouth, his skin losing its color.

Jill felt an uncomfortable sensation form in the pit of her stomach as he continued, "It was-it was just out in plain sight, out in the open, just looking at me! The bastard just-just had this...this look on his face, like he was-"

"Smirking," Jill finished.

He nodded vigorously. "Yeah! And-and he moved so fast! Jesus Christ, he was so goddamn fast!"

Every part of Jill shook and trembled as her joints tightened and locked, her palms sweaty while her whole body felt like lead. She felt physically ill as goosebumps dotted her skin, the Alpha strongly resisting the urge to look over her shoulder with every ounce of willpower that she could muster.

"Let's go."

No sooner had the words left her mouth that the survivors ran. They didn't walk, they didn't jog, they just straight up _ran_ for their lives, refusing to look behind them.

Not even when they heard something that sounded suspiciously like a deep, twisted laugh.

* * *

The air was still as Rebecca sat on the ground and stared straight ahead into the dark forest.

"...This is crazy," Chris said, shaking his head. "None of this makes any sense. What just happened?"

The medic swallowed. "To be honest...I don't know."

He turned to face her.

"Do you think this is Umbrella?"

Rebecca shook her head slowly. "I...I don't know."

"You must have some idea or theory, don't you?"

"I don't," Rebecca admitted. The past twenty-four hours alone had been surreal, but with this new discovery, it felt as if all of reality was crumbling around her, barely held together by a thread, and at any moment it will all spill. She didn't know what to expect anymore. At first, she believed it to be hallucinations, lights from some unknown military vehicle, but _this_...it bordered on insanity!

Chris fidgeted.

"There has to be some sort of logical explanation for this," he said aloud, whether to her or to himself Rebecca wasn't sure.

At this very moment, the two of them were alone, both standing close to the edge of madness itself. Neither knew what to expect from this place anymore, for every time they moved forward, something would usher them further into the darkness. The line between dream and reality has become so blurred that the two have become indistinguishable, and that fragility terrified the two survivors.

As Rebecca pondered the strange pink lightning, her imagination ran wild with various different possibilities.

"...Do you..." Chris swallowed, letting out a shaky, nervous breath, "is it...is it possible the T-Virus is making us...see things?"

Rebecca felt her skin creep.

"...It's...possible," she admitted, despite every part of her not wanting to do so. "I don't know anymore than you do." She gave him an uncertain look. "Do you have any thoughts in terms of what's going on?"

Chris looked to the trees, sweeping a hand through his hair.

"A couple, but...you'll think I'm insane."

"Try me."

He frowned.

"I don't know. One side is thinking aliens, another is thinking demons." Chris shrugged. "I don't know, but...that latter could explain the winged dogs."

Rebecca shifted on the ground. "...So...what do we do?"

Chris exhaled. "Honestly...I don't really know. I think for now, though, we should find our way back to the house and regroup with the others. The longer we wait out here, the more likely it is for one of those things will to take notice or that pink lightning to bring something else."

She nodded. "Agreed."

Chris helped Rebecca up to her feet. Once she finished dusting herself off, she followed him along the path, tracing their way by the fence line.

* * *

The fog had deepened considerably as the survivors progressed, shrouding everything in light grey. Turning her head to Chris, Rebecca paused at the sight of his pants.

"Is something wrong, Rebecca?" Chris asked.

"...What happened to your pants?" she asked curiously.

He shifted in discomfort. "...They...got dirty. Star helped out by getting me a pair from a closet you two found."

She nodded in understanding. As the pair traveled on, Rebecca shifted nervously as she looked around. The fog was so thick that she could practically cut into it with a knife.

"So," Chris spoke again, "how did you get all the way out here?"

As Rebecca opened her mouth to respond, Lisa's cries cut her off, her shrill screams mixing with the rattling chains.

"RRRREEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDMAAAAAANNNNN!"

Chris shuddered. "Jesus, that scream! What the hell is that?!"

Rebecca's eyes drooped. "That's Lisa Trevor, the daughter of the architect that built this place. Umbrella...they did something to her."

Hearing the softness in her voice, Chris looked at her for a moment, then looked back ahead to where the calls were coming from, his gaze hardening along with his fists.

"...Bastards." he spat lowly.

Rebecca nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

"RRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDDMAAAAAAAAAAAN!"

The Alpha scratched the top of his head. "Why does she keep saying that? Who's 'Redman'?"

Rebecca shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she replied. "When I first heard it, I actually thought it was referring to you. You know, because of 'Redfield'."

"RRREEEEEEEEEDDDDDMAAAAAAAAN!"

"From the sounds of it, she's not after me," Chris nodded. "Whoever this 'Redman' guy is he better watch out - it sounds like she's out for blood."

Rebecca nodded in agreement.

"No kidding." She then looked at Chris. "...So...how is Star? Is he alright?"

The Alpha nodded.

"Yeah, yeah," he answered. "Last time I saw him he was okay. He was doing that ventriloquist thing with a lot of the zombies." He shook his head. "I have no idea how he does it. Really creepy stuff, although given everything I've been seeing lately..."

Rebecca shrugged as he trailed off.

"True." She looked at him curiously. "Have you seen him do his impersonations?"

"Nope."

"He's quite good. He can mimic voices and sounds perfectly."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah! Apparently he had been a circus performer when he was a kid."

Chris paused, looking as if he were contemplating something, his brows scrunched together.

"...Is something wrong?" She asked.

Chris turned to face her. "How...do you feel about him, Rebecca?"

Rebecca blinked. "What do you mean?"

He opened his mouth to answer, then frowned.

"Never mind."

"What?"

"Really, it's nothing." Chris waved.

Rebecca gave him a questioning look.

_What was that all about?_

Lisa screamed again that name.

As the voice echoed, Rebecca suddenly stopped, a thought crossing her mind. Wait a minute...'Redman'...could it be...

Her eyes widened in realization.

"Oh my god."


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four: Madness

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Madness**

"Oh my god." The three words tumbled out from Rebecca's mouth as realization struck her in an instant. "Chris, Lisa's-"

Rebecca cut herself off as she looked around, noticing that Chris was gone. "Chris? Chris, where are you? Chris?"

Mist coalesced with black shadows, the moonlight tinting it slightly, giving it a sort of iridescent glow.

Looking around her, Rebecca shakily searched through her surroundings, trying to catch some hint of her coworker.

"...Chris?" she said in a tiny voice, barely loud enough to be a whisper.

It was then that Rebecca suddenly became aware of an odd sound - a sort of grating, rattling noise akin to cicadas.

As the noise grew, the murky and misty darkness swelled thirty feet away like a pimple.

The mist suddenly parted as if it were a great curtain...and then _he_ emerged.

He appeared so naturally out of the shadows that it almost seemed as if he were a living part of it, an extension of it. Hovering just a foot off the ground, moving slowly toward her, his eyes shined in the night, a pair of pale white lights that cut through the gloom and focused directly on her, a cruel smile etched on his devilish features.

Regardless of whether the sight before her were a dream or not, it was enough to make Rebecca shriek at the top of her lungs, to whip around and run all the way back in the opposite direction.

It wasn't the fact that she was being chased that made it terrifying. It wasn't even the fact that it was _him_ of all things to be the one chasing after her; it was the fact that he was _deliberately allowing her to stay ahead every step of the way_.

Never before had Rebecca ever encountered something that could only be described as pure, unadulterated evil.

The various creatures that haunted these grounds were all in their own way horrible in their aspect and conception, grotesque parodies of their debauched makers, but none of them were inherently malicious. Even Marcus at his most loathsome couldn't even compare, despite his having intelligence.

This...this Magician Type 0...Rebecca was sure that it was evil incarnate.

At first, Rebecca thought that it had been her imagination, but the longer time passed, the more she became convinced that he wasn't _just_ hunting her. He _deliberately_ hung back as he pursued her, _deliberately_ allowed her to get ahead.

But worst of all?

He was toying with her; even though he hung back a few feet, he made it a point of indicating that slowly but surely he was catching up, starting off distant and at a consistently, deliberately slow speed, but every so often, he would seem to just _ever so slightly_ creep closer and closer to her.

It was all subtle at first - at certain moments, she would be running in one direction and he would move at a snail's pace...and yet...somehow...he always kept maintaining a consistent speed where he was just _ever so slightly behind_.

Rebecca didn't know how such a thing were possible.

Other times, he would suddenly disappear altogether, forcing her to flounder about aimlessly in the woods, leaving her lost, alone and disoriented. Trees started to look all the same, and her head felt as if a sledgehammer was bludgeoning her over and over again.

She was starting to see double of everything, and little by little, she could feel her mind being broken down piece by piece, her imagination running wild. The medic flinched at the slightest of noises that broke the silence, her form still yet alert, ready to flee at a moment's notice, like a hunted deer.

Sometimes, Rebecca would...or rather, she _thought_ she would...catch glimpses of him lurking behind the trees.

Peeking around stones.

Bushes.

Even from the tree tops looking down at her with that awful smile.

At one point, Rebecca sought to loop around a tree, but as she did so, the medic found herself within arms length of her tormentor!

Her mind became nothing but a whirlwind of panic and confusion, her eyes wet with frightened tears as she became a whimpering child.

The medic ran so fast and hard that her lungs burned with every breath she took, her legs and feet protesting and searing with pain, but every time she looked over her shoulder it made Rebecca redouble her efforts and ignore the aches and pains.

She was now running all the way back to the cemetery, all the way back to the cabin.

Just when she rounded a corner, Rebecca found herself skidding straight into the Magician.

Letting out a screech, the medic barely had time to react when the creature seized her by the throat.

The world blurred and spun all around her, making Rebecca dizzy as she rolled her eyes up into her head. Turning to one side, she threw up, passing out when it became too much for her.

* * *

"Rebecca? Rebecca!"

Rebecca opened her eyes, wincing at the light, her head pounding.

"C-Chris?" she said weakly.

"I'm right here, Rebecca," Chris assured. "You okay, rookie? You don't look too well."

Shutting her eyes, the girl slowly sat up, massaging her head as she swallowed.

"I-I've felt better," she rasped as she wiped her mouth, her throat stinging from bile. "W-where-where are we?"

"I have no idea, but you have to check this place out," he replied.

Blinking, Rebecca raised up her head. "Why? What-"

She cut herself off as she took in her surroundings, the burning sensation in the back of her throat put to the back of her mind.

It was a dark and spacious stone room with a bunch of gears on the ceiling, all of which creaked each time they turned. Four niches were close to the left hand side of a gated opening, each niche holding some stone statue of a face, all of which varied in their appearance and completion, from the fully formed to the grisly disturbing and skull-like.

Underneath each statue was some form of writing, but Rebecca couldn't tell what the language was.

Possibly Greek.

The room itself was lit by a pair of oppositely facing, wall-mounted hearths with thick bars, some of which were bent, the crackling fire mixing with the creaking gears.

What really drew Rebecca's attention along with Chris', however, was at the far end of the room - suspended in the air by four chains was a coffin that hung over a pedestal with a book on top.

"What is this place?" Rebecca shivered. "Why is there a coffin hanging up there?"

"I don't know," Chris shook his head, "but I think it's time we got the hell out of here."

She nodded. "Agreed."

Turning to the gate, the duo tried grabbing hold and raise it up, both grunting with exertion.

"Damn it, it's too heavy." Chris started to yell, "HEY! CAN ANYONE HEAR US?! WE'RE STUCK DOWN HERE!"

"IS THERE ANYBODY THERE?!" Rebecca yelled.

"HELLO?!"

"SOMEONE! ANYONE! PLEASE, ANSWER US!"

The survivors' cries echoed as they shook at the bars trying to get out, the metal clanging in its frame.

* * *

Jill and Joseph stopped as they opened up the door, taking in the sight before them.

"You have got to be fucking kidding!" Joseph swore.

It was a long corridor that stretched all the way down to a door at the end, but the entire floor was covered with dozens upon dozens of still bodies.

"You're fucking serious, we have to navigate this shit?!"

Jill shrugged. "Looks like it."

Joseph gave the corridor one long look, then turned around.

"...Nope!"

Jill frowned. "Joseph, come on!"

"I am not going into that room!"

"Joseph..."

"Nuh uh! No way Jose!"

"Joseph it's only a little walk!"

"Yeah? Well fuck that! I'm gonna take a little walk in the opposite direction!"

"They're dead!"

"Are they?!"

The two looked over at the bodies. None of the them were moving, nor did they seem infected...at least, they think they didn't...but that only belied the deceptiveness of everything. Nothing in this damn place was ever simple or straightforward.

_Like Umbrella itself._

Jill mentally scoffed.

How fitting.

Swallowing, she forced on a smile.

"It will be okay, Joseph." Jill tried to say in an assured voice. If only the confidence in her voice matched how she felt.

As Joseph opened his mouth to make a retort, the Alphas paused as they heard something.

Footsteps. Distinctive, heavy-sounding footsteps that sounded as if they were making their way toward them, although neither could be sure that they were.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

"...Doesn't that guy ever give up?!" Joseph lamented in a hushed voice.

"Apparently not," Jill said quietly.

"Does that sound close to you?" He whispered, looking around and listening.

Jill tilted her head, listening to the sound.

"...I don't know." She whispered back. "Let's get out of here before he arrives."

Looking back the cadaver-lined corridor, Jill nervously swallowed.

"Well...here goes."

Taking in a deep breath, she took the initiative, the first one to move forward.

Glancing down at the floor, Jill suspiciously eyed the downed bodies as she ever-so-slowly and carefully stepped around the cadavers, looking to avoid making contact and/or stepping on one of them.

So many bodies...

_'Who were all these people?'_ Part of her morbidly wondered.

It was easy to think of Umbrella as a faceless amoral corporation governed by greed, but even corporations themselves employed people, were run by people.

She wondered about their day-to-day lives, their families.

Somebody out there somewhere must be wondering about what had happened to them.

Then again, perhaps not.

Perhaps they chalked it up as their being too busy, or perhaps they had other worries. Maybe some just didn't plain care. A few probably had, but given the things Umbrella has been doing...

As Jill stared down at the pile of bodies all around, a feeling of loathing for the corporation grew.

_'I swear, once we get out of this, those bastards are going to pay!'_ She vehemently swore to herself.

CRUNCH!

Jill winced at the sound, turning to glare at Joseph.

"For fuck's sake, Joseph - watch where you step!" she hissed.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "Just so many goddamn bodies in this room."

He paused. "Hey, uh...Jill?"

Jill looked over her shoulder. "Yes?"

"All these bodies...what do you think they died from?" Joseph asked as he carefully climbed over a cadaver. "I don't see any bullet wounds, stab marks or anything. What gives?"

Looking around her, Jill studied them, a frown forming on her face.

"You're right." she nodded.

The bodies seemed to be in relatively good condition. So what killed them? Were they dead?

It was then that Jill remembered Wesker's note. Taking out a bottle of kerosene from one of her pouches, she opened the canister and started to sprinkle it along the bodies as she continued creeping forward along with Joseph. Once they got to the end, Jill turned around to face the cadavers, shrugging as she took out Chris' lighter.

"Just in case," the Alpha said as she lit a nearby cadaver. Lifting herself up, she watched as the body caught fire, the flame spreading to others behind them. One of them started to stir, then rose up, followed by another, and another, and another.

Grabbing the door knob, Jill and Joseph pulled it open and moved into the next room. Looking back, Jill suddenly paused at the sight behind them, watching the unholy scene in all of its horrible, nightmarish glory.

Corpses wandered amidst a great, growing pool of flame, their features melting and blackening as they caught fire, their cries filled not with pain and suffering, but of unending hunger. Looking wordlessly to Joseph, Jill saw him equally mesmerized and horrified by the sight. Giving her a nod, he gestured for them to go, leaving the damned to face their hopefully merciful end.

* * *

"CAN ANYBODY HEAR US?!"

Nothing.

Chris frowned.

"Well, looks like it's just us." he said with a shrug.

Sweeping her hands, through her hair, Rebecca looked around worriedly. "We've got to get out of here! Star is in danger!"

"Whoa! Calm down, Rebecca," Chris said. "What are you talking about?"

She turned to face him. "Lisa is going after _him_, Chris!"

"After Star? But why would she-" She watched as it all registered. "Oh my god."

Rebecca nodded vigorously. "Exactly! Not 'Redman' or 'Redfield', _'red man'_!"

Chris paled.

"I need to contact the others and warn them," the Alpha said as he took out his radio.

* * *

Jill and Joseph paused as they heard their radios go off.

"Jill here." The former answered.

"Jill, thank God!" The radio crackled.

"Chris?"

"Yeah. Where are you?!"

"Joseph and I are on the second floor of the west wing, why?" she asked curiously. "Is everything okay?"

"Negative! Listen, where is Star?"

* * *

Star wriggled in his handcuffs, grunting as he tried to get free.

Why the hell did Officer Aiken have to leave him like this?!

Something shrieked outside, cutting through the rumbling thunder and the whistling wind, causing him to pause.

_'What on earth was that?!'_ The albino wondered.

Part of him wanted to believe it was the shriek of some animal, a bird of prey like an eagle or something.

His brows knitted. Were there eagles around here?

The sound came again, much louder and clearer than before.

Closer.

_That is no animal._

It didn't sound like the moans of a zombie; zombies by and large were just dead, walking pieces of meat, their vocalizations mere pitiful, empty and flat imitations of their former selves.

These cries, however, were different - there was a certain degree of..._sentience_ in their tone.

Anguish.

Rage.

It was then that he heard clinking and rattling, something heavy being dragged. Chains.

Wind whistled and howled, mixing with the chains and angry cries, causing Star to look all around him fearfully.

_What new trick of Umbrella's is this?!_

To Star, it sounded like an angry ghost, the cries of a damned soul come to wreak horrible vengeance.

A door creaked behind him, causing cold air to enter and the hems of the albino's coat to flutter.

Turning around, Star felt his blood turn to ice. Goosebumps rose from his flesh, his throat tightening as he ceased breathing, his eyes widening in fright.

Just between the landings was a concealed door that lead somewhere outside, much to Star's surprise, but it was the being occupying the landing itself and stood by the door frame that drew his immediate attention.

It was a wretched vision - a multifaced, hunchbacked horror dressed in the tattered and filthy remnants of a hospital gown that stepped right out of a nightmare, its unnaturally long spidery arms shackled together in front of her, the chains pressing so tightly on her ankles that they looked swollen, with old and infected-looking cuts.

Star remained rooted to the spot, uncertain and horrified at what he was looking at.

Seeing him, the being stared at him, then said two words, its voice a low, horrible sound. "Reeeeeed maaaaaan."

The door closing behind her, she then lurched threateningly down the steps toward him, her hands clenched into fists, causing him to back slowly away.

"REEEEED MAAAAAAN! KILL RED MAN!" The creature cried dementedly.

Star backpedaled, wincing as a sour odor hit his nostrils.

Good lord, the smell!

He coughed, his eyes watering as he tried to maintain distance between them.

Letting out a shriek, the creature swung her chained hands over her head, swinging them down to smash Star as he cried out, falling backwards as he narrowly missed being hit.

Pushing himself up, Star scurried away as she pursued after him, crying out those three words.

"REEEEEDDD MAAAAAAAAAAN! KIIIILLLLLL RRRRREEEEDD MAAAAAAAAN!"

Ducking behind a column, he circled around, then ran back up the stairs with her in tow.

"HELP! HELP!" Star yelled. "OFFICER AIKEN! OFFICER AIKEN I NEED HELP!"

Running onto the top floor, he feebly grabbed for a doorknob, his useless hands grasping and feeling around for something, anything! Ducking out of the way from a coming blow, Star ran around the railing.

"SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! PLEASE HELP ME!"

* * *

Jill tilted her head, listening. "Do you hear that?"

Joseph nodded. "Sounds like Junior is in trouble. Come on!"

* * *

"REEEEED MAAAAAN! RED MAAAAAAAN!"

Narrowly dodging out of a horizontal swing, Star looked frantically around.

"FOR GOD'S SAKES, SOMEBODY HELAHHH!"

Star slipped on a section of carpet, kicking up his feet into the air with a yell and a grunt as he started rolling down the stairs, wincing as his spine, shoulders and arms hit the wall.

Getting unsteadily back onto his feet, the albino sharply drew in his breath.

"God...damn it!" He breathed, stumbling slightly.

Hooh boy, he was going to feel sore in the morning!

Brushing his arm against a section of rail, Star pulled away as it wobbled.

_Bloody rails. Somebody needs to-_

A lightbulb went off in his head, causing his violet feline eyes to widen. Looking back to the chained woman as she clamored after him, he bared his teeth.

"Hey you! You want me? Come and get me!" He challenged.

The creature let out a shrill scream as she lurched after him down the steps.

Running back up the other end, Star kept his eyes on the miserable being, taking in her form beneath the candlelight.

A truly wretched wreck of a woman, if he had ever seen one, with all those faces stitched together. Through one of the gaping mouths, he could see a white eye, and just a little bit of her face underneath, causing him to feel ill.

How it was possible for someone to call out with no jaw bone, he'd no idea, nor did he _want_ to know.

Slowing his step, he waited as the woman caught up just ten feet away, her back facing the dining hall door.

_Just a little closer..._

Nine feet.

_Just a bit more..._

Eight feet.

Seven.

_Almost there._

Six-

At six feet, he charged forward with a yell, ramming his armored shoulder into her.

Letting out a grunt, the woman unsteadily wavered. Regaining her balance, she swung her arms, hitting his right upper shoulder, knocking him to the floor as the woman proceeded to charge, raising up her arms in the air all the while chanting dementedly.

"RED MAN! RRRRRRRREEEEEEDDDDD MAAAAAAAAAAN!"

Rearing back his legs, he let his feet catch her by the ribs as he pushed her back with every ounce of strength he could muster, propelling her backward. Star watched as the railing behind her cracked beneath her weight, the woman careening over the edge.

"REEEED MAAAAAA-"

CRUNCH!

Star flinched at the sound of a bone snapping.

Crawling onto his knees, the albino peeked down over the edge.

The woman's head and neck were broken at bent at angle, her form still.

Letting out a sigh and a shudder, Star sank to the ground in relief, only to jerk slightly, his eyes rolling upward into his head.

* * *

_A young boy was inside of a bar kneeling down on the floor, holding onto his father's dead body as he cried._

_In his hands was a smoking pistol._

_Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked to his left and saw James looking at him, shaking his head slowly._

_Swallowing, his mouth and throat felt dry as he tried to stop himself from crying himself. "I-I'm sorry, James."_

_"There was nothing you could have done, rookie." James said quietly. "You can grieve later. Come on."_

* * *

"Star! Star?!"

Opening his eyes again, he found himself on the floor staring up at Valentine and Frost.

"Hey," the former said softly. "Are you okay?"

He groaned. "What-what happened?"

Valentine shrugged.

"From the screaming and the body down below you were busy." she said. "Can you move?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Can you get me out of these cuffs, please?"

"Sure." Valentine nodded back as he sat himself up.

Just as she bent over to uncuff him, there came a loud snap down below. Turning to the source, the survivors ducked down beside Star, staring at the body below.

"You cannot be fucking serious." Joseph muttered.

Star watched in fascination and horror as the woman's head snapped back into place with a resounding crack. Suddenly, a series of long, fleshy pink snake-like tendrils spurted out from her head and back, the albino letting out a muffled startled yelp as he covered his mouth.

"What. The. Fuck?!" Jill whispered.

"What the fuck is this?!" Joseph gasped. "What the fuck is even happening?!"

The woman looked blankly around, the tendrils flailing haphazardly about.

This was definitely no zombie...

"What..." Star said slowly and quietly, his voice a strangled gasp as he stared aghast at the thing below, "what is that thing?!"

* * *

Lisa looked blankly around.

What was she doing here? Why was she here?

For a brief moment, she could feel something prod into her mind.

Wincing, the woman reached up to her head, her fingers clasping at the sides and scraping what remaining flesh she had on her scalp.

Groaning, she shook violently, then threw her head back with a scream.

With that utterance, the sensation in her head was gone.

Something creaked, causing her to turn around.

Looking from side to side, Lisa scanned her surroundings as tendrils squirmed out from flesh, her skin creeping and rippling beneath.

Looking back to the dining hall door, she let out a long, wailing shriek as she continued on in her endless search.

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR!"

* * *

Star anxiously watched the strange yet tragic creature wander away, the hall echoing with her sorrowful wails and cries as she repeatedly called for her mother, disappearing through the dining hall door. As the door closed behind her, the albino relaxed a little.

"...I hate this place." Star said softly. "I absolutely hate this place. I swear to God, I hate this place with every fiber of my being."

Letting out a nervous, shaky breath, not even realizing that he had been holding breath for so long, Star turned to face his fellow survivors, only to find them gone.

"Officer Valentine? Officer Frost?" He called nervously.

Looking confusedly around, Star found himself alone once again, then winced as he felt a sharp pain in his head. Images flashed in his mind like a reels in a running projector. Images whizzed so fast and with such abandon that his mind had trouble trying to make sense of it.

Letting out a groan, Star faltered, then fell back onto the floor as everything turned black.

* * *

Rebecca heard something whoosh, followed by a pair of loud cries and grunts.

Turning to the statues, Chris' eyes widened with surprise.

"What the hell?!" he exclaimed.

"Chris, what's-"

A pair of groans interrupted her. Turning to the busts at the corner, Rebecca hesitated, then hurried to the prone forms of Jill and Joseph.

"What the- Jill?!" Approaching the downed figures, Rebecca started to gently tap the ground. "Jill. Jill? Jill can you hear me?"

Jill moaned in response as Rebecca checked her.

"She seems to be in good condition. Just a little roughed up."

"Same with Joseph," Chris said as he kneeled over the Omni Man. Pulling away, he shook his head. "What the hell is going on around here?! Where did they come from?!"

Rebecca swallowed. "I-I think it's the Magician."

Chris groaned. "God, don't start that again."

"Chris, you saw for yourself the weird things that have been happening!" Rebecca insisted. "_Something_ tore Kenneth apart! And in case you haven't noticed, the last time we looked, those two weren't there before!"

"I know that, Rebecca, but what makes you think it's that-_that_?" Chris asked.

_"Because I saw it!"_

She watched as the Alpha whipped around to face her.

"...What?!"

Before she could respond, the others stirred, drawing their attention as they sat up and groaned.

"Jesus Christ," Joseph swore.

"God, I feel like I'm going to throw up," Jill said as she massaged her eyes.

"Easy," Rebecca said, putting her hands on Jill's shoulder.

The B&E Specialist hesitated.

"Rebecca? Chris? Where- what's going on? Where are we?"

Chris shrugged. "We have no idea."

"How did we get here?" Joseph asked.

An uncomfortable silence filled the chamber as Rebecca and Chris looked at one another.

"...What?" Jill asked.

It was Chris that spoke, "...You said that you saw the Magician, Rebecca."

At the mention of that word, Rebecca suddenly noticed Jill and Joseph stiffen, their eyes wide awake and focused on Rebecca herself.

The medic nodded slowly. "I had."

"Are you sure?"

Rebecca nodded again. "I am. He had been chasing me all throughout the woods."

The survivors glanced around at each other.

"...I saw him, too." Joseph spoke up. "Back at the library. That goat-horned fuck was smiling at me."

Rebecca listened as everyone recounted their encounters and experiences, nothing held back. She couldn't believe some of the stuff she had been hearing.

All of it was nightmarish, and yet, there seemed to be a running theme, a pattern of sorts.

Whatever the hell this...Magician Type 0 was, one thing about it was certain - it was dangerous.

Chris frowned.

"But why would it put us all in here for? Why didn't it kill us? Assuming it killed Kenneth, why him and not us?" he asked.

Rebecca looked around nervously, fidgeting.

"Maybe he intends on killing us all one by one," she said in a low voice.

Chris then got off the floor.

"In that case," he started, "we need to find a way out of here before it comes back to finish where it left off, and fast. Let's look around - there has to be a switch or something around here to get that gate open. You guys check the statues here while I check over at the pedestal."

* * *

Star groaned as he opened his eyes, holding up his arms to block out the li-

He froze.

The handcuffs were gone.

Looking at his arms, he studied them for a moment, then looked around the top floor.

"Hello?" he called. "Is anyone there?"

Who uncuffed him while he was unconscious?

Pushing himself off the floor, Star brushed off dust and dirt from his coat, taking the pistol out from his pocket as he checked to see how much ammunition he had.

Nothing.

Turning around, he walked down the stairs, then stumbled slightly, letting out a groan as he felt a sharp pain in his head.

God, not now!

Clutching a nearby bannister for support, Star massaged his forehead, then his eyes.

Just a little bit longer. God, just a little bit longer, just so he can make sure Rebecca was alright.

Shaking off the headache, Star opened his eyes, then climbed down to the landing.

_'Hard to believe that there had been a door here all this time.'_ Came the thought.

Grabbing the handle, he twisted, but stopped as he was met with resistance.

Locked.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," he muttered.

It seemed as if he were doomed to walk for perpetuity in this godforsaken mansion.

Exhaling tiredly, Star descended down the steps and glanced around.

There had to be a key somewhere...

Approaching the double doors to the gallery, he cautiously opened them and stepped through...only to find himself stepping back into the main hall again, right from where the doors to that were supposed to have lead from the dining hall.

Startled, the albino did a double-take as he looked back in confusion, then ran back through the doors.

"What the hell?" he muttered.

He tried the other doors, but no matter which one opened, it all lead back to the main hall.

In some of the rooms, he would find himself in a version of it that was completely inverted, with the stairs on the ceiling and the chandelier on the floor.

Wiping sweat from his fearful eyes, Star continued to run through several doors, watching in horror as the main hall appeared in all sorts of bizarre angles, shifting into more and more surreal shapes and images, looking less like a mansion and more like a madman's configuration, an MC Escher-styled nightmare that became increasingly more organic with bits of flesh and bone.

Walls, floors, ceiling and furniture were now twisting, folding, overlapping and changing before his eyes as he ran through door after door like clockwork.

Star was now running, falling, rolling and sliding through this ever-shifting amalgam of shapes, trying to avoid getting crushed by the multiple folds, the raising floors or lower ceilings.

Where paintings had once hung, slit white eyes blinked and stared at the albino, following his every movement.

Floors became veiny and pulsing.

Walls became lined with intestines and pulsating organs.

One door nearly had bitten his arms off, and if it hadn't been for Star's quick reflexes, he wouldn't have been so lucky.

Stairways became ragged and jutting vertebrate that dripped with slime, while doorways became grinning horizontal mouths with razor sharp teeth that laughed, cried, drooled copious amounts of saliva and uttered insane gibberings, breathing out noxious fumes that made the albino gag and want to hurl.

Feeling overwhelmed by the repulsive sights and smells, Star spun in an endless loop in this world of nightmares, his courage quickly retreating as he tried to find a way out.

The more he struggled, the more his sanity threatened to snap.

Star felt the whole room spinning around him. Falling to the floor, he allowed himself to black out, the laughter haunting him even as he lost consciousness.

* * *

When Star reopened his eyes again, he found himself in a pitch black room with a single spotlight hanging directly over him. Looking up, the albino raised a hand as he squinted, then stopped at the sight of a something that filled his heart with sorrow.

"Oh no."

All around him were the bodies of the various S.T.A.R.S. members.

Officer Sullivan's dismembered head.

Officer Valentine lying flat on her back with a pool of blood oozing out from the back of her smashed skull.

Pieces of what seemed to be of Officer Redfield.

The decapitated corpse of Officer Burton.

Moving to a kneeling position, Star felt warm tears form, a lump in his throat.

One body in particular drew his attention and caused those tears to fall from the albino's scarred eyes.

"Father." Star said weakly.

Lying on the floor with his golden hair in disarray with blood pooling from the corner of his stern mouth, staining his perfect skin and features, Captain Wesker stared lifelessly to the ceiling.

Crawling toward him, the albino shakily reached out and gently shook his still form.

"Father. Father wake up." Star begged in a tiny voice, his tears soaking the S.T.A.R.S. Captain's face. "Father, please! Please wake up!"

When he got no answer, Star sat himself down on the floor, gently cradled Wesker's head and wept.

"...Star?"

Sniffling, Star wiped his nose and looked up.

"...Rebecca?" he called.

Darkness greeted him, completely surrounding him.

"Star where are you?"

The albino swallowed. "I'm right here, Rebecca! Just head to where the light is."

"I-I can't, Star! It...hurts!" The voice cracked, crying softly. "It hurts so much!"

Star got onto his feet. "Hang on, Rebecca. I'm coming to help you!"

As he took a step forward, something crashed to the ground with a thud, catching him by surprise.

Rebecca lay on the floor, her eyes blank and lifeless.

Star's eyes widened.

"REBECCA, NO!" he screamed.

A deep, rumbling laugh echoed around him, causing Star to shrink.

**_'Poor little Star,'_** the voice taunted. **_'How does it feel knowing that you are all that's left?'_**

"Who's there?" Star demanded. "Who are you?!"

The voice laughed again, longer, louder.

"WHO ARE YOU?!"

Clutching his ears, Star tried blocking out the awful sound.

"Stop...STOP! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"

The laughter ceased.

Pulling his hands away, Star looked around him.

The air was still, and yet, he felt himself tense up in anticipation.

A body fell to the left, drawing Star's attention.

Turning to face it, he paused.

"What...?"

It was Chris' body...but...it was in a more preserved state. Looking incredulously to the other remains, Star let out a sharp yell as another body fell.

Another version of Jill, but blonde.

Another body fell, this one a version of Officer Burton with grey hair.

Another body. A version of Rebecca with strawberry red hair and a mole near the corner of her mouth.

Star stared at the bodies, trying to make sense of everything.

"What...why is...who...what-"

He stopped as he felt something wet touch his forehead.

Reaching up, he pulled his hand away at the sight of red.

More red droplets started to trickle down.

Looking up, Star watched with horror as bodies, body parts and pools of blood started to snow down from the sky all around him in an endless and horrific storm, painting everything crimson, including himself.

"No...no…" he whimpered, his form trembling.

Violet eyes rolled back as the albino youth gave a strangled cry.

* * *

_He watched as the woman looked around the vast grey entrance to the building._

_"It's almost like we're being invited in," she murmured aloud._

_He dove off from the balcony with swords in hand._

_"What?!" Her partner cried._

_Somersaulting down with a thud, he rose up to his full height with one sword raised._

_"Come. You must prove yourself in a test of strength," he growled as he got into a stance. "This was Goldman's parting wish."_

* * *

Collapsing onto his knees, Star winced at the pain as a flurry of images assaulted him all at once.

_"Run, Twenty-Three! Run!"_

_"KEEP RUNNING, ROOKIE!" _

_"Just shoot the damn thing!"_

_"GARY!"_

Star let out a cry as he fell forward onto the floor.

As his face touched the ground, he heard something escape from his own lips.

"James, please forgive me..."

* * *

When Star awoke, he found himself lying on a bed in a cell, dressed in an white jumpsuit, his arms bound by a straitjacket.

"What the hell?" He muttered.

Outside, people babbled, screamed and cried. One person maniacally laughed, causing Star to shiver.

A tiny slot in the door opened.

"Wakey, wakey, inmate - you got a visitor." A gruff voice spoke.

Star blinked.

"'Inmate'?" he repeated, sitting up from the bed. "Wait, what's going on?! Where am I?!"

"You know where you are!" The gruff voice snarked. "After all, you've been here for three years and counting."

"_Three years_! But that's impossible!" Star shot up as he approached the door. "Please, tell me where I am! What's going on here?! Where's Rebecca?!"

"Settle down, inmate. Control, this is security. Tell Dr. Rawlings his patient is acting up again. We're going to need to sedate him."

"Can someone please tell me what the hell is happening?!" Star said in frustration. "Where am I?! I want to speak to a lawyer! I want to speak to my mother! Please! For god's sake, let me out of here!"

After several minutes of pleading, the door opened, revealing a tall, bald man with spectacles and a scrunched-up rat-like face with four burly attendants and security guards by his side.

"Good morning, Mr. Wolf," the man greeted. "How are we feeling today?"

Star swallowed nervously. "Where am I? Where is Rebecca?"

The man frowned.

"Oh dear, it seems the patient has regressed again. Mr. Wolf, my name is Dr. Rawlings," he introduced himself. "I've been your attending physician for the past three years and you are in the Arklay Institute for the Criminally Insane."

Star's eyes widened.

"...W...what?" he said in shock, his voice weak.

Rawlings nodded.

"I'm afraid you've had a psychotic episode on the Ecliptic Express," he explained. "You killed everyone onboard along with several police officers."

Star's lips trembled.

"...No. No, this isn't real!" he tried telling himself. "I didn't...Umbrella's responsible!"

Rawlings shook his head slowly.

"I'm afraid you've been suffering from paranoid delusions."

"No. No no no no!" Star shook his head vigorously. "No! This isn't real!"

"I'm afraid that it is, Mr. Wolf." Rawlings said grimly.

"Where is Rebecca?" Star demanded.

"Who is this 'Rebecca' he keeps mentioning?" A young nurse asked.

"Another one of his delusions. Mr. Wolf, I need you to calm down."

"NO! I know what you are!" Star snapped. "You're not going to get away with this!"

Rawlings nodded to the guards.

"Strap him down - I'll need to sedate him."

Star backed away as the guards approached.

"Get away from me! You think your masters at Umbrella are going to get away with this?! You can't do this!" Lunging forward, Star tried shoulder-checking his way through only to be tackled to the ground. "GET OFF OF ME! GET OFF!"

His violet eyes widened as Rawlings approached with a syringe.

"No, NO!" The albino violently shook and flopped around on the floor, bucking wildly like a bull. "GET OFF OF ME! YOU ROTTEN SONS OF BITCHES, I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL-"

Yelping as the needle was jabbed into his neck, the albino's vision started to dim.

"You...dirty...bastards..." he slurred. "You...won't...get...away with...this..."

All around him, madmen cackled and rattled at their cages, their shouts echoing as Star's vision darkened.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Five: Perception

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Perception**

Star weakly opened his eyes and found himself in a wheelchair, his arms bound to the armrests. Dazedly glancing around, he found himself in a neat and tidy office, the shelves lined with books on psychology and modern medicine.

He heard a door open behind him, but he felt too dizzy to look, the room swirling around him.

"Ah, Mr. Wolf! My apologies for keeping you waiting!" Rawlings said as he came in with a folder in hand. "How are you feeling? Would you like some tea? It's good for the nerves and is very relaxing."

Star winced, closing his eyes.

"N-no." He answered, his voice cracked and dry.

"Are you sure? You sound a little parched. Would you like a glass of water?"

Opening his eyes, Star shook his head, then narrowed his eyes in a glare, watching as Rawlings settled into his desk.

"Where is Rebecca?!" the albino demanded. "What have you done with her?!"

Rawlings sighed as he took off his glasses and cleaned them with a cloth.

"Mr. Wolf," he sighed, his tone regretful, "I'm afraid there is no Rebecca. Not anymore."

Star stared from his seat, his insides frozen.

"W-what do you mean not anymore?" he said weakly. "W-what...what happened to her?"

The doctor gave him a neutral expression. "What do you remember?"

The albino swallowed.

"I...I was on a train for Raccoon City called the Ecliptic Express. While onboard the train was-"

"Attacked by leeches," Rawlings said as he scribbled something in a notepad. "You also claimed that soon after the train stopped, and later the passengers came back as zombies and you were forced to kill them."

Star nodded. "Yes."

"You also claimed that together with Officer Rebecca Chambers and her team you survived an onslaught of creatures as well as a train crash that resulted in you in some part of a hidden facility owned by the Umbrella Corporation, where they had 'engaged in illegal viral research for the purposes of creating a weapon.'"

Star's hand twitched as he tapped his index finger impatiently. "Yes..."

"And you claimed that the founder of that facility, a Dr. Marcus, came back as a walking leech colony and told you about the company's "crimes"."

The albino exhaled. "Yes."

"You also maintained that you never laid a hand on Rebecca?"

Star tightened his hands into fists, his jaw clenched. "Never. She saved my life."

Rawlings stared at him for a long while, then continued, "You then claimed that together with her you made your way to a mansion out in the middle of the woods, but this too was also owned by the Umbrella Corporation."

"Yes."

The doctor let out a weary sigh.

"Mr. Wolf, you have told me this story before." he said tiredly.

"Every word has been nothing but the truth! Umbrella turned those people into zombies." Star said in an even voice, trying to reign in his temper.

Rawlings merely nodded patiently as he jotted down notes, looking disinterested in what Star had to say, much to the albino's annoyance and frustration.

"Have you been taking the medication that you have been prescribed?" He asked in an a patronizingly avuncular tone.

"Aside from some Tylenol for headaches on one or two occasions, I have never taken drugs in my life," Star replied, "nor am I going to start. Where is my father?"

"Your father?" Rawlings repeated.

"Captain Albert Wesker," Star clarified. "Where is he?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid he is dead."

Star's heart sank.

"No..."

It couldn't be...

The albino tightened his hands into fists, his eyes narrowing. "No I don't believe you. I demand to speak with a lawyer and with my mother!"

"You will, you will, right after our session," Rawlings nodded as he leaned into his chair. Turning around, he flicked on a metronome, the dial clacking with each swing. "I want you to relax, Mr. Wolf. Very soon, I am going to count down to ten."

Star shook his head.

"This is a waste of time. I am not going to participate in this sham-"

"When I count down to ten," Rawlings interrupted, "you will be transported back to the train, and you will relive every moment that had occurred. Ten."

The albino paled. "W-wait."

Rawlings watched him with a cool expression.

"Nine."

"Wait, wait! Stop!" Star struggled in his wheelchair.

"Eight."

"I DO NOT CONSENT TO THIS!"

"Seven."

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" Star yelled, looking around wildly. "Guard! GUARD! SOMEBODY PLEASE GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

"Six."

"YOU CANNOT DO THIS!"

A cruel smile formed on Rawlings' face. "Five."

"I am begging you," Star trembled, "please don't make me relive that! Anything but that!"

The smile widened savagely. "Four."

The albino wriggled furiously in his wheelchair.

"You bastard! STOP!"

"Three. Two-"

"FOR GOD'S SAKES, STOP! PLEASE!"

Rawlings raised up a hand, his face fixed with that smug grin.

"One."

With a snap of his finger, everything went black.

* * *

Star shot up with a sharp gasp as he looked around.

He was back in the main hall again.

While part of Star wanted to feel relieved, he was anything but.

Far from it.

He felt nauseated.

He felt as if he were stuck in a perpetual fever dream, and no matter what he did nor how hard he tried Star would continue to spiral down into a madness-filled end.

He no longer knew if what he was seeing was real or if the people that he interacted with were real.

Were Father and Rebecca even-

The albino frowned.

_'Get ahold of yourself, Star.' _The albino reprimanded himself.

He closed his eyes, and took in a deep breath.

"It's just in your head," Star said quietly. "It's just in your head."

Opening his eyes, he took a step toward the art gallery when he heard something scrape along the ground, brushing against his boot.

Glancing down, Star blinked in surprise at the sight of the pistol, then looked around.

_'Where had this come from?'_ He wondered.

He was sure that there had been nothing there on the floor last time he had looked.

The albino frowned.

"God, how tired am I to have not noticed?" he asked himself in a quiet yet dry voice.

Picking it up, Star examined the weapon and took out the magazine, counting up the ammunition.

Satisfied at the sight of the full clip, he slipped it back into the pistol and cocked it.

Star couldn't believe how quickly and easily he was able to do something like that.

Part of him felt perturbed by how..._familiar_...such an action felt, even though he had never picked up a gun in his life.

At least, as far as he remembered...

Star's pondering was cut off as something creaked.

Turning to the source, he watched as the double doors to the dining hall opened, revealing something that made Star's eyes and mouth widen in shock and horror.

"No..."

Rebecca answered him with a long, loud moan as she reached out for him, her eyes pale and dead. Other doors started to open around him, drawing his attention, revealing the rest of the S.T.A.R.S. members as they dragged their undead feet into join in.

"Get away, GET AWAY!" Backing away up the stairs, Star raised his pistol. "Stay back!"

"Star?"

Freezing at the sound of Rebecca's voice, Star turned back to see the girl back to perfect health.

Her image suddenly flickered, her calls to him overlapping with hungry moans.

"Hey buddy, what's wrong?" Frost asked as his visage shifted from healthy to slobbering zombie, his voice shifting in quality. "Put down the pistol, let's talk."

Others called out as well, their voices blending somewhere between normalcy and creature.

Backing up the stairs, Star's hands shook as he looked at each the S.T.A.R.S. members with uncertainty, unsure whether to fire or not. When he turned the pistol to Rebecca's direction, a sick feeling came over him, the pistol itself wavering unsteadily.

"S-stay back, Rebecca." He said weakly, feeling as if he were going to throw up. "Please...please don't take another step."

Rebecca then snarled, and charged toward him.

"No, NO!" Star yelled as he fled up the stairs. "STAY BACK! GET AWAY!"

Running up the second floor, he pointed the pistol to the ceiling.

"I SAID STAY BACK!" He screamed, tightening his eyes shut as he fired the weapon.

The moaning stopped.

Opening his eyes again, Star suddenly found himself back on the ground floor again.

"What?" He said, perplexed.

Looking around him, Star felt his insides turn to ice.

The S.T.A.R.S. members were all lying dead on the floor.

Hearing a loud cough, the albino froze, then turned ever so slowly until he saw her, at which point he dashed toward her in a blind panic.

"REBECCA!" He screamed with alarm.

Rebecca was coughing as she clutched a bloody red hole on her chest, the girl's face stained with tears as she let out pained cries.

"Why?! Why did you shoot me?!" she sobbed.

Putting his hands on her chest, Star applied pressure to the wound, trying to cut off the blood flow as the girl cried loudly.

"Oh my god I am so sorry, Rebecca!" The albino said, his eyes tearing up.

Rebecca let out a wounded puppy-like squeal, her face contorted with pain.

"It hurts! It hurts so much!" She whimpered. "I want my mom! I want my mommy!"

A sob escaped Star's lips as he heard her pleas.

"You-you will see her, Rebecca!" He promised, a tear escaping from one eye, then the other. "God, I-I p-promise you will see her, even if it's the last thing I do! Just stay with me!"

The medic shrieked, her form writhing on the floor.

"I know it hurts, Rebecca, I know it does. Everything is going to be okay, you hear me?" Star said, a sob in his voice. "Just stay with me, Rebecca, you're going to be okay. Everything is going to be-"

Rebecca's cries stopped, her breathing ceasing as her limbs fell limp.

Star swallowed.

"R-Rebecca? Rebecca please don't." He said in a tiny weak voice.

Rebecca's eyes became glassy, the spark fading.

He shook his head, gently shaking her shoulders. "Don't do this. Don't do this. Please god, don't..."

As Rebecca's head limply fell to the side, Star choked a sob, then carefully picked her up, cradling her.

"This-this is not real," he shook his head, his lower lip trembling. "This is- this is..."

The moment the side of her head flopped onto the crook of his neck, something within the albino cracked as he lost all ability to speak, his mouth uselessly shifting.

Thick tear lines spilled down his scarred cheeks as Star held her close, sniffling softly.

_**"That is right, Mr. Wolf,"**_ Rawlings' voice echoed, startling the albino as he looked up at the ceiling. _**"You are responsible for this tragedy."**_

Star's eyes widened at the accusation. "No! NO! I didn't do this! I am not responsible for-"

His eyes rolled back, his speech slurring.

_**"Still in denial, I see. Well, looks like we have our work cut out for us. I think it's time we delved deeper."**_

* * *

Opening his eyes again, Star found himself on his knees still, the bodies gone. A spotlight shone directly above him.

"What- what do you want from me?" he asked. "For God's sakes, WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"

The albino shouted the last part to the shadows.

_**"The truth, Mr. Wolf,"**_ Rawlings coolly replied.

Star tightened his hands into fists.

"I HAVE TOLD NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH!" He screamed.

**"Have you?" **Rawlings said doubtfully._** "Why don't we go back to the night of the train, and explore what really happened? In five...four...three...two...one."**_

The spotlight disappeared, leaving Star in darkness.

* * *

Star found himself staring at a TV screen on the back of a chair. Blinking for several moments, he nervously looked over to his right as people laughed and chatted in the other seats, staring aghast as he found himself back on the Ecliptic Express.

"Is everything alright, sir?" A man asked.

Freezing at the familiar voice, Star stiffly and slowly turned to face the source. As he looked straight up, Star's eyes widened at the recognizably spectacled visage of the train conductor, his uniform unmarred.

"Ha...ha…..ha..." the albino gasped, struggling to breathe, the scream lodged in his throat.

"You don't look well, sir. Would you like a drink?"

Star shrilly screamed, his outbursts startling the other passengers.

"What the hell's the matter with him?!" An old man somewhere up ahead asked.

"I have no idea!" A woman shook her head.

"Sir, sir! You need to calm down!" The conductor said.

Star continued screaming.

"Can someone shut him the hell up, please?!" A well-dressed man said impatiently. "I'm trying to get some sleep here!"

* * *

Star awoke abruptly, finding himself in the main hall again.

"What the fuck!" he swore as pieces of the walls and floors melted away like candlewax, the furniture drooping. Feeling his mind reeling, Star grabbed hold of his head and held his eyes shut. "Stop! STOP!"

* * *

He opened his eyes again to find himself back on the train. Pushing himself out from his seat, he rose and took out his butterfly swords.

_'What's going on?'_ His brain demanded.

Why couldn't he move? Why won't his limbs obey?

People screamed as they caught sight of the weapons.

The screaming got even louder when the conductor was stabbed in the chest.

Star watched in horror as his body acted on its own accord, powerless to stop the butchery that followed.

_'STOP IT!'_ He mentally screamed. _'STOP IT!'_

Star struggled to speak, to stop his actions, but he had absolutely no control.

People on the train were being systematically eviscerated left and right in a coldly indiscriminate fashion.

Women screamed while men wept and begged to be spared.

Mothers were shielding their children, shoving them away, telling them to run or pleading to Star to not kill them.

Star wanted to throw up as heads, eyes and chests were stabbed and as limbs, blood and cadavers painted the floor.

As the last body fell, a door opened.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" A masculine voice called.

Turning around, Star found himself confronted with the entire S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team, their weapons drawn.

"Drop the weapons!" Rebecca said.

Star tried to speak, tried to move, but his body refused to listen, and he could only watch with horror as one by one the S.T.A.R.S. members were killed off quickly and efficiently with ruthless determination.

Turning to the last surviving member, Star found himself looking at Rebecca, who stared at him with huge frightened eyes, her hands and pistol shaking.

_Please God, not her!_

Rebecca was shaking furiously.

"S-stay... stay back!" she warned.

Firing her pistol, the shot missed as he stepped forward, hitting a chair four feet away.

"Don't-don't come any closer!" Rebecca begged, her eyes tearing up.

_God I am begging you, please! Help me! _

He stepped closer to the medic as she fired another round, missing again.

"Please..." she begged.

Star's eyes burned as warm pools ran down along his scars.

_God please, not her! Please God, don't do this to her! Please don't do this to her! Please God, I beg you! Please!_

Rebecca backed away, tripping over a body with a yell. Looking back up at him, the girl started to crawl away.

"Please...please don't kill me!" She wept, her whole body shaking. "Please don't hurt me!"

_God, please! Can't you see she's scared?! Stop this! Please!_

_"_Please! Please leave me alone! I have- I have a mom! Let me go, and I promise I won't tell anyone, I swear! Please don't hurt me!"

Star's chest ached as he moved against his will toward the frightened girl as she cried, his stomach cramping as tears pooled down his scarred face the more he stared into her wet green eyes.

_Get away, Rebecca! Please, God, let me put a stop to this! I don't want to hurt her, she's an innocent! _

Stopping right in front of her, Star struggled for control as he raised the swords up with both hands.

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_

Rebecca screamed as the weapons plunged straight into her chest.

Star felt the weapons make contact, tearing all the way through her ribcage, the impact traveling all the way up his arm.

Letting out a pained squeal like a wounded animal, Rebecca coughed up blood, then sucked in her last breath, her whole form shuddering violently.

As the crimson pool formed beneath her, Star suddenly found himself thrust back into the drivers' seat, his body and limbs responding.

"N-N-N-No..."

Dropping the swords, he stared at his shaking stained hands.

"No..."

He shook his head. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening! This- this couldn't- this couldn't be-

Collapsing onto his knees, Star wept, his mind overwhelmed as realization dawned on him.

"What have I done? What- what have I done?!" Looking at his hands, then at Rebecca, something broke inside the albino as he reached up, hiding his face into his hands. "OH CHRIST!"

He knelt on the floor, his form doubled over as he howled in pure anguish, the bodies and pieces lying around him like a crude, blasphemous mosaic.

He screamed as he wept loudly, his eyes and cheeks burning, his cries mixing with the sounds of cold wind, rain and thunder.

_**"Now you finally understand what you have done, Mr. Wolf." **_Rawlings' voice said softly.

Star sniffled, then wiped his nose.

"Y-yes." He answered weakly. "I-I see the- the truth now. I-I accept that-" He swallowed, "that I've done a horrible, unforgivable thing."

_**"How do you hope to rectify it?"**_

Star lifelessly sat there on his knees, saying nothing for several moments.

_**"...Mr. Wolf?" **_

The albino exhaled softly. "I...I deserve to be punished."

Looking to where Rebecca lay, he saw the pistol next to her, then picked it up. After checking the magazine, he cocked the slide, then slowly raised it up to his head, drawing back his hood.

"I-I deserve- I deserve to be punished for what I- for what I did," Star sniffed. "God- God forgive me for what I have done, but- but it's the only way."

Rebecca's mother deserved peace of mind in knowing that her daughter had sent the Ecliptic Express Butcher to hell where he belonged before passing on.

She deserved to be buried with dignity and recognized as a hero.

Taking in several deep breaths, Star closed his eyes, pressing the barrel against his temple.

Images of his life flashed before him along with those of his mother, causing tears to spring anew.

Christ, the damage this would do to her, knowing that she had raised a murderer...

"I-I'm sorry, Mother." He sniffled. "I...I'm sorry for failing you as a son, and for being what I am. I hope you can forgive me for what I have done."

Taking several sharp breaths, he tightened his hand around the pistol's hand. If only he could feel the trigger itself. Time slowed, his chest thudding a violent storm that pounded in his ears.

"Goodbye, Mother. Goodbye, Rebecca. I love yAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRGGGHGHGHGH!"

Dropping the pistol to the floor, Star screamed as he clutched his ears, wincing at the sharp pain as he heard a high-pitched ringing, holding his eyes shut.

Opening his eyes again, wincing at the pain, Star found himself back in the main hall, darting his eyes around in confusion.

"What? What's going on?! What is haAHHH! AAAAAAH!" As Star turned to look behind him, the albino's eyes shot right all the way open, ignoring the ringing and the pain as he shrilly and loudly screamed.

* * *

Richard heard several loud screams and pops.

Gunfire, and from the sounds of it, they were coming from the main hall.

"Wolf? Wolf?!" Pushing through the dining hall doors, the Bravo hurried his steps when s_omething screamed_, shrieking out an alien noise, a sound so unlike anything that he had ever heard that it made him flinch.

_'What in God's name was THAT?!'_ Aiken wondered apprehensively.

It was a cry that sounded as if multiple voices were shrieking as one, strangely distorted and oddly….._mechanical... _for lack of a better word.

For a moment, Aiken was briefly reminded of an internet dialup tone.

Several shots later, he heard a grunt, then another sound that he had trouble identifying, a sort of swishing like wind.

Bursting through the door, Aiken found Star wide-eyed on the floor with a pistol in his hand, the weapon pointing straight ahead, his entire form shivering as he remained curled up.

"Hey, you okay, kid?" The former asked.

The albino's face was pale, paler than ever, his expression horrible. His tear-stained eyes were so wide open that Aiken could see the violet hues in their entirety, but it was the grimace on the boy's face that he had as he glanced anxiously around the room, concentrating.

Something scared him, and badly.

"Wolf?"

The boy stared up at the second floor balcony, nervously swallowing.

"Wolf!"

The albino jumped as he turned to face him.

"Did- did you see it?" The youth asked. _"Did you see it?!"_

"See what?" Aiken asked.

"Him! The-" The boy then suddenly cut himself off, looking up and down the Bravo with cautious distrusting eyes. "Are...are you real?" he hesitantly asked in a quiet voice.

Aiken blinked in confusion, his brow furrowed. "What?"

"You heard me!" Star nodded, his nervous distraught words practically flying out with machine gun rapidity. "How do I know- how do I know that you're real?! How do I know this isn't a dream or a hallucination?! How do I know that you or this room won't suddenly change before my eyes again like all the other times and...and..."

The albino reached up and grabbed his own scalp, bending forward.

"Oh Christ, I'm losing my mind!" He cried.

Frowning, Aiken grabbed the albino roughly by the shoulder and gave him a hard shake.

"Get ahold of yourself!" He said with a stern voice before pulling back. "Does that answer your question?"

The albino glared up at him, then gave a slow nod in answer, putting away his pistol as he got back up onto his feet.

"Where have you been?" The youth asked as he straightened himself up.

"I was looking." Aiken responded, glancing down at his arms. "You're out of your cuffs."

"Yes, no thanks to you." Aiken didn't have time to react as the giant socked him in the eye.

* * *

Barry heard a scuffle as he exited the art room.

As he entered the main hall, he saw Richard and the albino brawling.

"Hey! HEY!" Barry said as quickly approached and stepped between the two, pushing them both back. "Break it up! What the hell is going on?!"

Aiken panted as he held his bruised eye.

"That psycho attacked me!" He pointed at the red-clad giant, glaring at him.

"Yeah, because you hit me first," The latter said angrily, pointing to his cut bleeding lip, "and left me to fend for myself while I was handcuffed!"

"And how did you manage to get out of them in the first place, huh?" Aiken retorted. "Huh? Maybe Jill had been right to cuff you in the first place! What did you do with Rebecca and the others, you long-eared twat?!"

The albino stepped forward, balling his hand into a fist.

"You rotten son of a-" Cocking his fist back, ready to swing, Barry wrapped his arms around the youth's torso and midsection, dragging the boy away he as he flailed around wildly.

_Jesus Christ, this kid is **strong**! _

Really strong!

Barry wasn't a slouch by any means; as a former Air Force pilot, he prided himself on being one of the physically strongest members within S.T.A.R.S., if not _the_ strongest of the bunch. That said, however, he was _really_ struggling just trying to hold onto the albino, so much so that his arms were starting to feel sore.

"Get off me! Get off!"

"ENOUGH!" Barry yelled. "If you don't settle down this instant, I'm putting the cuffs on! The same goes to you too, Richard!"

The albino ceased struggling, panting from exhaustion.

"Now, if I let you go, will you behave?"

The albino quietly glared at Richard as he panted, then looked back to Barry, giving a nod. "I...I will."

Releasing his hold, the Weapons Specialist then backed away, looking at the two survivors. "I want you boys to make peace. Whatever bullshit happened, drop it now - this is neither the time nor place."

The albino huffed indignantly as he crossed his arms. "He started it."

"And I'm ending it!" Barry retorted. "You say you're Captain Wesker's son? Well guess what, the Captain has a zero tolerance for bullshit, and your bratty outburst would make him ashamed!"

The albino winced, his eyes drooping sadly.

Aiken smirked. "Yeah."

Barry directed a glare at him, causing the Bravo to shrink and the smirk to disappear. "The same thing applies to you as well, Richard! How do you think the Captain would react to your behavior?! How do you think he would react to the news that you've been assaulting his kid when I tell him?!"

Barry watched as the two quietly digested his words, both staring down like children that had been called to the principal's office. Aiken himself looked like he was ready to faint.

"Now that has been addressed," he started, "I want the both of you to make peace already. Enough is enough!"

"With all due respect, Officer Burton," the albino said in a low voice as he drew up his hood, "I am _not_ feeling particularly amicable at the moment."

As the youth's face disappeared into shadow, Barry caught a glimpse of his violet eyes as they shined before the giant turned away toward the stairs and climbed up.

"And where do you think you are going?" Barry demanded.

"I just need a moment to cool down," the albino answered, his back facing them.

"You can't just-"

"Just give me a minute or two," the red-clad youth said. "I just need some fresh air."

Barry frowned. "Kid, it's dangerous out there."

"It's dangerous _in_ here, too," The boy replied, his tone soft. "Please. Let me just have a few minutes outside. I can't...I can't stand this mansion. I hate the air in here, and if I stay inside for another minute I'll go utterly mad...if I haven't already."

He then looked directly at Barry pleadingly. "That's all I ask. Please."

The Weapons Supplier thought it over for a moment, then relented.

"Alright," he said, "fine. I'll give you five minutes. By the time those minutes are up, I expect you to be ready with that apology. That goes for you too, Richard."

Aiken shrugged. "Fine."

Wiping his eyes, the albino gave a slight nod. "Thank you, Officer Burton."

The big man gave a wave.

"Don't mention it." Barry said.

The youth turned around and climbed up to the landing.

"And Wolf?" Barry watched as he paused midstep. "Don't take too long - this place isn't safe. If you find yourself in trouble-"

"I'll let you know." The boy nodded.

Barry watched as the youth approached a section of the wall, then blinked in surprise as it creaked open.

_'Huh. Didn't realize that had been there.'_ Came the thought.

The door had been blended so seamlessly that it was easy to miss.

The big man started to squirm.

"Listen, uh, do you want me to come with you?" He asked. "Because, uh, you never know what-"

"I'll be fine." The albino interrupted.

Barry shrugged.

"Alright," he replied.

As the albino opened the door, cool air filled the room as wind caused lit candles to flutter, the youth pausing as he peeked outside.

"Everything okay?" Aiken called.

Letting out a tired sigh, the albino gave a dismissive wave, not bothering to face them.

"Remember, five minutes!" Barry called.

The door closed behind the red-coated figure, leaving the two survivors alone in the main hall.

Looking to Richard, Barry eyed the bruise.

"Quite the shiner you got there." he commented.

Aiken shrugged. "Kid can pack a hell of a punch. Like father, like son, I guess."

"Hm." Barry hummed, clicking his tongue against his teeth as he looked around curiously. "Is it me or had it gotten warmer in here?"

Richard looked around, his brow furrowed. "Now that you mention it, yeah, I thought I sensed a slight increase in heat as well. Fucking temperature controls in this place are probably going to shit."

Rubbing the back of his head, Barry looked up with a heavy sigh. "Isn't that reassuring."

The two S.T.A.R.S. members remained still as they listened to the wind blowing outside, sounding like a great beast trying to force its way in.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Six: Stuck

**A Star's Descent: Book Two: Star Fall**

**By evolution-500**

**Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.**

**WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, mature and disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Stuck**

Stepping outside, Star paused at the door, taking in the sight that greeted him.

"Of course," he muttered softly. "Of course it would be this."

He didn't know what he had expected to find when he stepped out, but it certainly wasn't a cemetery of all things. Sparsely lit by one or two lamps with cracked walkways, mist lightly covered the ground with a strangely luminescent yet filmy quality.

All around him were old headstones of various different shapes and sizes, cracked with age and grouped next to some fences, with light seeping through the latter's spaces in between, making them seem like ribs.

"What in the world," Star whispered as he studied the graves.

So many headstones...

...Had _all_ of these been Umbrella's victims?

A chill ran through Star's blood, a shiver rippling through his body as the thought occurred to him.

"How on earth is it possible for a single company to get away with all this?" the albino asked himself quietly.

Even more, how much of this had been a result of himself, be it through his own creation and/or involvement?

Had he been involved? At least, for the period of his life in which he had no memory?

As he eyed the headstones, Star winced in pain as he grabbed onto a railing in front of him, holding on for support.

* * *

_He and James were on a white speed boat traveling down a Venetian canal when they saw piles of civilian bodies...or rather their remains as they bobbed lifelessly about, the water stained crimson._

_Seeing the grisly sight, he stared, fixated on the cadavers in horror and sorrow. "No..."_

_James shook his head, exhaling._

_"They never even had a chance," he said quietly. Looking up to face him, James gave him an assuring nod. "I don't know what lies ahead, rookie. It's possible there may be more dangers ahead, and things will likely get worse from hereon. If you want, I can call in someone to evac you if this is too much for you to handle. You don't have to do this. You can always leave."_

_He looked away with troubled eyes._

_"Hey, it's okay, rookie," James said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "No one is going to blame you for not sticking around. Don't worry about what the others think. Sometimes, the most sensible thing to do in a fucked up situation like this is to flee and never look back. I've been on this job a long time, kid, and believe me, there were a lot of times where I should have turned back when I had the chance. If you want to leave, just say the word, champ. I'll understand. I'm not going to force you into this."_

_He looked around at the bodies, down the various canals as gentle waves caressed their boat, then looked to the bodies bobbing up and down in the water._

_It was so tempting to say fuck it - after all, he was young with hopes and dreams. If he were to continue, there was no telling what will happen to him. Hell, he might end up getting torn apart by these mutant fuckers. _

_He pondered James' words._

_Seagulls cried overhead as they fluttered in the air, showering the canals with feathers. _

_"...Well?" James said expectantly. "What will it be?"_

_He stared down into the pool, at his own reflection, his light brown hair parted to the side._

_"...I'm going with you, James," he answered determinedly. _

_The older agent hesitated. "Are you sure?"_

_He shrugged. _

_"We've already made it this far," he replied, looking up to face his partner. "Besides, I'm not going to let Goldman or those DBR bastards get away with this. I want to catch them before any more people are hurt."_

_He waited for a response, watching as James scrutinized him for a moment. Finally, a smile appeared on the older agent's face._

_"You've got guts, kid," he nodded. "Those bastards at DBR will pay for this, Gary. You have my word on that. Now, let's go get 'em."_

* * *

Shaking his head, Star reared back his head with a sharp gasp, panting heavily.

What the fuck?!

Closing his eyes, the albino reached up and massaged his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I should really stop watching film noir," he muttered.

Opening his eyes, Star drew back his hood, basking in the cool night air with a soft exhale, staring out to the cemetery before him.

So many bodies...

At first, Star wanted to call back to his companions inside, but a cautious part of the youth warned him against performing such an action, especially after what had happened.

The boy shivered.

That..._thing_ had been standing right beside him. Watching over him.

It didn't lash out as Star had expected, but it was a startling vision just the same.

Star himself was tall, but by God, the sheer height of it was unbelievable! It was _massive_!

A body so wiry and long that it almost bordered on parody, with equally long limbs.

And those eyes...

Star flinched as he recalled them.

He had never seen anything so cold and cruel in his life. Not even the maligned Travis Marsden that tormented through childhood or the despicable James Marcus could compare.

And the way it moved...the sheer speed...Star had never seen anything like it! It wasn't like the Road Runner in the Bugs Bunny cartoons that he used to watch as a child. The creature had moved so fast that it left a series of after-images in its wake.

Trees rustled, causing Star to flinch and look wildly around. He waited a minute, then two.

Once he was certain that there was nothing there, he released his breath softly.

This place...

_'I think that's enough fresh air for now,'_ he thought as he turned back to the door and stepped back in.

* * *

Barry looked up the staircase as the backdoor opened, watching the albino as he entered.

"Feeling better?" The Alpha asked.

The boy nodded as he stepped down the stairs.

"I am," he confirmed.

"Good," Barry nodded. "Now apologize, you two." He watched as Richard and the youth frowned. "Come on, guys - settle this already. Let bygones be bygones."

He waited, watching as the two shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm..." the albino began, "...I'm sorry."

Richard was quiet for a moment, then exhaled.

"Yeah. Sorry." he grunted.

Barry nodded approvingly. "Good. Now shake on it."

Holding out his gloved hand- although paw seemed to be a far more appropriate term given how large it was, - the albino waited and stared at Richard expectantly.

Richard eyed it, then tentatively took the giant's hand and gave it a quick shake before quickly retracting his own hand back, causing Barry to frown.

"A _proper_ handshake, Richard," he chided.

"What do you want me to do?! I shook his hand, okay?!" Richard retorted.

"It's fine," the albino waved, cutting Barry off before he had a chance to make a response.

Barry eyed him. "Are you sure?"

The youth nodded.

"Okay," Barry said slowly. "Good. Now that's settled, it's time we got back to searching this place for the others."

The albino pointed up the stairs. "There's a graveyard just outside that we haven't explored."

Barry blinked.

"A graveyard?" he repeated.

The youth nodded. "Yes. I haven't searched it, just because...well..."

The Alpha nodded.

"Understandable given the situation. Show us."

* * *

Three pairs of eyes peered out from the door into the mist-filled night, the door creaking slightly as they peered around.

"Of course there's a fucking graveyard," Aiken muttered.

"Jesus," Barry grumbled.

The albino remained quiet, his violet orbs staring to the various headstones. Closing the door for a moment, he looked expectantly at them.

"So what do we do?" he asked.

Aiken shrugged. "Looks like the only option we have is to go outside."

Barry frowned. Looking over his shoulder nervously, he turned back to them.

"I'm afraid I can't go with you, fellas," he said regretfully.

The survivors looked at him in surprise.

"Why?" the albino asked.

Barry sighed

"...I need to use the bathroom," he admitted. Giving a sheepish smile, he shrugged. "What can I say? Moon's Doughnuts combined with Jim's Crabs makes for a lethal combination!"

"Oh god," Aiken groaned.

"I'll try to be quick," Barry promised.

"Just remember to turn on the fan after your done," Aiken reminded. "Every time you have that combination the restrooms at the station end up smelling like death!"

"You might want to hold off on washing your hands," the albino spoke up. "We don't know if the T-Virus has infected the water supply around here."

Barry frowned. "Good to know."

The albino paused. "Oh! I nearly forgot, I should have some cleaning cloths in my suitcase back in the storage room by the staircase in the west wing, so you are more than welcome to take one for yourself."

The Alpha nodded. "Thanks."

As Barry stepped down the stairs and made his way to the dining hall, Richard called out, "Barry."

He paused, then turned to look over his shoulder.

"Yes, Richard?"

"Be careful, man," Richard nodded.

Barry smiled.

"Always am," he said confidently. "As long as I have this with me," he gestured to the Colt Anaconda revolver in his hand, "I'll be perfectly fine."

With that, the Alpha departed, leaving the two survivors alone.

* * *

Aiken watched as the double doors closed on his departing friend, the room swallowing him. Looking over to the albino, he gave a grunt, "You ready to go?"

The youth turned to face him and gave a slight shrug.

"As much as I can be," he replied.

Richard gave the main hall a once over, then looked up the stairs.

"Alright. Let's go."

* * *

Star stepped outside with Aiken, the two survivors glancing around nervously.

"Christ on a bike," the latter muttered.

Looking around, Star glanced down at the small set of steps to his left, then raised his eyes, watching and listening intently. After the two waited, they proceeded quietly down, glancing around at the various headstones.

Pausing, the albino kneeled down at the closest one in front of him, then looked at the others.

"Huh. Curious," Star said softly.

"What is it?" Aiken asked impatiently.

Standing up, Star squinted at the other graves.

"...A lot of these seemed to be written in Greek or Latin," he replied. "Whatever sort of man this "Spencer" character was, it's apparent he had some form of a classical education."

"Do you know what they say?"

The albino nodded. "I recognize some lines from 'The Iliad'. Others seem to be directly lifted from Virgil's 'Aeneid', more specifically Aeneas' descent into the underworld."

Aiken frowned. "That's comforting."

Star paused at one, then gave a small chuckle.

"What?" Aiken said impatiently.

"'Roland Barthes - Here Lies An Author'," the albino laughed as he read the engraving in the headstone.

"What's so damn funny?!" Aiken snapped.

The albino shook his head. "It's-it's a joke!"

"Yeah, because death is so funny," the Bravo muttered.

Star frowned. "No, it's a joke. Roland Barthes was a French literary critic who wrote an essay called 'Death Of An Author' in 1967. Basically, his paper called for readers to not assign biographical facts and author intentions in determining the interpretation of their writing."

Aiken tilted his head. "Okay...but why would it be called 'death of an author', though? Wouldn't the author still be relevant?"

The albino shrugged. "I'll be more than happy to explain and go into detail...at least, some other time and in a more appropriate and less threatening setting." He looked around, then stopped.

"Wait," he said, pointing to another gravestone in particular. "I see something, but...I don't know what to make of it."

One word was written in ink on a gravestone that had Star blinking in confusion for several minutes, the albino's brow creasing.

"What does it say?" Aiken asked curiously.

Star squinted, tilted his head to the side and looked at the strange word from different angles.

"...Well?" Aiken said expectantly.

The youth frowned. "It says...'Kap...kom'?"

"'Kapkom'?" The Bravo blinked. "Are you sure?"

"That's what is says," Star replied, gesturing to the messy writing in ink. "What does that even mean?"

Aiken folded his arms together.

"A capcom is a term for a 'capsule communicator'," he explained. "It's a position in NASA that serves as a kind of liaison between in-space crew and mission control."

Star blinked in surprise. "So a radioman in other words?"

Aiken gave a slight shrug. "Essentially."

The albino tilted his head to the side.

"Interesting," he murmured, then looked back to the Bravo. "How do you know about that?"

Aiken scratched his cheek.

"I wanted to be an astronaut growing up," he admitted.

"Oh." Star said simply as he looked back to the gravestone. "Why would anyone write that word of all things? And out here?"

Aiken shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe the person that got infected was beginning to lose his marbles and scrawled that down."

The albino clicked his tongue, giving a slight nod.

"Possible," he replied.

* * *

Aiken watched the albino with unease and distaste as he studied the messy writing.

God, the kid creeped him out.

As he looked back and forth from the youth and the messy writing, a lightbulb suddenly went off in his head.

Could it be...a warning?

Was there somebody here that acted as a sort of liaison for Umbrella, carrying out their orders?

Before he had a chance to contemplate further, the kid suddenly let out a strangled cry of pain as he fell to his knees and clutched the side of his head.

"Hey, what's going on?" Aiken asked as he approached the crying figure.

"MY EARS!" The albino grimaced, his eyes tightly held shut. "MAKE IT STOP!"

* * *

_**Earlier...**_

Rebecca let out a frustrated growl. There has to be a way out of this damn crypt.

"See anything?" she called.

Chris frowned, shaking his head.

"Nothing here," Joseph called back.

"I think I found something," Jill said from the other end of the crypt, the chained coffin hanging overhead. Turning around, she approached the group with something in her hands.

"What's that you have there, Jill?" Chris asked.

"Some sort of book," she replied, letting out a shiver. "It looks...creepy, to be honest."

"What a surprise!" Joseph said sarcastically.

The group circled around, looking down at the book in her hands.

"Oh yeah, this really makes me want open it up!" Joseph snarked.

Rebecca studied the item. It was a manuscript with a hardback purple cover with silver engravings and relief figures sculpted into it. At the top of it was a ram's head situated beside a gruesome collection of silvery skulls. Below were a pair of ghoulish skeletal figures that held up the emblem in the center, which read "Next World - the Book of Curses", the text itself bordered by a pair of demonic ram heads.

Reaching out to touch the cover, Rebecca was about to open it when Joseph smacked her hand.

"Ow!" she winced. Looking up, she glared at the Alpha. "What was that for?!"

"Look at it!" Joseph pointed. "Why would you even want to open it up in the first place?!"

She scowled. "You're being ridiculous."

"Uhh, no, I'm being sensible. Am I the only asshole around here who thinks that we shouldn't touch this thing?"

Jill gave a teasing smile. "Aw, don't tell me that you're feeling superstitious now, are you?"

He looked at her seriously. "Aren't you?" he asked. "In case you hadn't noticed, things are not exactly what I would call 'normal', not with the winged dogs or the literal demon watching over us."

The smile dropped the moment the latter was mentioned, causing her to look uneasily at the book.

"Good point," Jill said quietly.

Rebecca frowned.

"It's not a demon," she asserted, if only to assure herself. "We all saw Star's notebook for ourselves. The thing is clearly biomechanical in nature."

Chris frowned. "Even if that is true, assuming that everything we saw of it was even real...how is it able to do all that? None of the zombies we've seen so far has been able to do the things that it did."

The medic shifted uncomfortably. "True, but I'm sure there's a rational explanation for the things we've been seeing."

_'There has to be,'_ she mentally added, although Rebecca felt a great deal of uncertainty about everything. Even if she could chalk up a lot of the bizarre creatures that haunted this place to a virus, to scientific experimentation, the Magician was perhaps the most enigmatic and troubling, for it seemed to operate entirely on some other, almost incomprehensible level that bordered on the supernatural, as much as she hated to admit it.

Refraining from shivering, Rebecca turned her attention to the book.

Taking it from Jill's hands she raised it up to look at the cover when she saw Jill give a look of surprise.

"Well would you look at that!"

"What?" Rebecca asked.

She watched as Jill reached to the back cover pulled...a key from it.

"What the hell?" Joseph muttered.

Rebecca blinked, then gave a flat look.

"...Of course a key would be hidden on the back of a book," she deadpanned, opening it up. Written inside with illustrations were the following words, all of which she read aloud as she flipped through the various pages.

_"'The four masks,_  
_a mask that speaks no evil..._  
_a mask that smells no evil..._  
_a mask that sees no evil..._  
_a mask that cannot speak, smell,_  
_or see evil..._

_When all four fall into place,_  
_evil will awaken.'"_

"Oh yeah! I am _so_ totally glad that you read that _out loud_!" Joseph said sarcastically. "I wonder what new evil thing will fuck us in the ass this time! Better get the lube ready - my keister is tingling big time!"

"Wait a minute," Chris hesitated. Rebecca watched as he fumbled around with his fanny pack and zipped it open, sifting through it before suddenly pulling out an ugly death mask.

"Hey, I have something like that as well!" Jill said as she reached into her own fanny pack, pulling it out.

Rebecca looked at the ugly masks as they were displays and folded her arms, cupping her chin with one hand in though.

"A mask that speaks no evil and smells no evil..." Looking to the stone busts in the niches, Rebecca then pointed at them. "Do you think they're connected with those somehow?"

"Only one way to find out," Jill replied as she and Chris approached the niches, positioning themselves next the statue with the corresponding features. Pushing the death masks on, the two pulled away.

"Okay," Chris spoke, "so now what-"

Two chains snapped behind them, causing the survivors to whip around in fright as the coffin hanging overhead shook, shaking off dust and spilling some unknown brown fluid all over the ground.

"Ugh!" Rebecca recoiled at the smell.

"Jesus!" Chris coughed. "That's a hell of a stink."

"No kidding. Uh, listen, guys," Joseph said uneasily, "how about we avoid putting on any more masks, okay? My keister is tingling really, _really_ something fierce!"

"Do we even have any more?" Jill asked.

Chris shook his head. "I don't. Do you?"

She shook hers. "No."

Rebecca then shook her own.

"I don't have anything like that on me," she replied.

"Same here." Joseph said.

"Well," Rebecca then gave a nervous smile, "at least that's one worry out of the way."

Chris frowned. "True, but we're still stuck here."

Rebecca's smile faded.

"True." Glancing around them, the medic pondered their predicament. There had to be some way out of this, but how...?

Raising up her eyes, she then took out her radio and pressed into the receiver.

"Richard, are you there? It's me, Rebecca. Over."

She waited for a response.

Nothing but static.

Frowning, Rebecca tried again. "Richard, can you hear me? It's Rebecca. Over."

She waited a minute. Then two. Then three.

Her frown deepened as she changed channels.

"Star, are you there? It's Rebecca. If you can hear this, please respond." As static played from the speaker, the medic let out a growl of frustration. "Ugh! Why can't I reach anyone?!"

Chris shook his head. "I can't reach anyone on my radio, either."

"Same here," Jill frowned. "I'm getting a lot of interference. Maybe we're too far underground for our radios to work?"

Rebecca looked worriedly around at their surroundings, absentmindedly stuffing them into her pant pockets. There had to be a way to reach someone, but how...?

She stopped as her hand made contact with something. Blinking, Rebecca curiously took the object out from her pocket and held it in her hand, scoffing.

"What's that you have there, Rebecca?" Chris asked.

"A dog whistle," Rebecca answered, shrugging nonchalantly. "I completely forgot I even had it."

Joseph scoffed. "Yeah, like that will be of any help."

Rebecca shifted uncomfortably.

Were they stuck here forever?

Sweeping her hands through her short brown hair, Rebecca struggled to keep her cool. There had to be some way out of this mess, some way to reach someone! Barry, Richard, Captain Wesker, Star-

Rebecca stopped, pulling her hands away, her eyes widening.

"Oh my god." she gasped.

"What, Rebecca?" Jill spoke up.

The medic turned to face her. "When was the last time you saw Star?"

Jill hesitated.

"A little while ago over at the entrance. Just moments before..."

As Jill trailed off, Rebecca brought up her radio again.

"Star? Star? Star please respond!" she said into the receiver.

Worry filled her heart as the static crackled.

"Star, if you can hear this, please answer!"

_Let him die. _

Rebecca gasped, dropping the radio in shock.

"The hell?" Joseph said in surprise, put off by her reaction. "You okay, rookie?"

Rebecca felt her hands shake, her wide eyes fixed on the radio as her palms started to sweat, looking around in confusion.

"Didn't-" she swallowed. "Didn't you hear that?"

The survivors glanced over at each other questioningly, then looked back to her.

"Uh, no?" Joseph said with a raised brow.

_Just let him die. All he has ever done was cause trouble. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. We would be back home with Mom._

The words just came out of nowhere, all of it spoken by a single voice. _Her_ voice.

"Hey, are you okay, Rebecca?" Jill asked. "You don't look well."

Rebecca wiped her sweat-covered forehead, trying to hold back a shudder.

"I'm- I'm fine," she said in a soft voice, feeling ill. "I mean...I don't...I don't know!"

Hallucinations. There must be something in the air that's making her hallucinate.

Rebecca panted heavily, her eyes dilating as her breath quickened. Fumbling with the whistle, she shakily raised it to her mouth, then blew with all of her might, blowing every last bit of breath that she had.

* * *

Star cried out in pain as he staggered forward, squeezing his ears with a wince before tripping and falling down a flight of stairs.

"Jesus Christ, Wolf!" Aiken yelled as he hurried to the albino's side, helping him up. "Hey, are you okay? What the hell's the matter with you?!"

Star's face was locked in a grimace as he held his eyes tightly shut and held his sensitive ears.

"God, make it stop!" He said with clenched teeth. "MAKE IT STOP!"

"Make what stop, kid? You're not making any sense!"

Raising his eyes to make a retort, Star paused as he caught sight of a large tomb over to the left. Illuminated by a lamp light, it had a long black iron fence at the on its left side and a long concrete slab on the ground before it, the front section of the tomb itself engraved with a relief depicting Cupid with a bow and arrow. Curiously, Star couldn't help noticing, there was an indentation where the latter was supposed be.

"It-it's coming from over there!" the albino said painfully as he pointed. "It's like earlier when Rebecca-" Star's eyes suddenly flew open in realization. "Rebecca! Oh my god, it's Rebecca!"

He darted toward the tomb, wincing at the pain.

"Rebecca?!" He yelled as he got closer. "REBECCA?! REBECCA!"

* * *

"Hey, do you hear that?" Jill asked.

Rebecca listened, then heard it - a muffled shouting somewhere up top.

"HELLO?!" she called. "CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?!"

The group hollered altogether, shouting as loud as they could.

* * *

Star looked over his shoulder.

"I can hear them!" He said, pointing to the concrete slab. "It's coming from somewhere down below!" He kneeled down. "REBECCA, CAN YOU HEAR ME?! I'M HERE WITH OFFICER AIKEN!"

The voices called back, but were unintelligible.

Star frowned. "I wish I knew what they're saying."

Aiken took out his radio. "Hello? Chris, are you there? Over!"

The radio buzzed and fizzed.

Star's radio went off. "Star, are you there? Over."

The albino's pulse quickened as he fumbled for the radio the moment he heard the voice.

"Rebecca, is that you? Can you hear me?"

"Yeah!"

Star closed his eyes, letting out a sigh of relief. "Thank God! I was searching everywhere for you."

"Where are you, exactly?"

Star glanced nervously at their surroundings. "We're somewhere behind the mansion. Spencer has a whole graveyard here, and from where we're standing, you seem to be in some sort of tomb. Is there anyone else with you?"

"Yeah, Chris, Jill and Joseph are also down here with me." There came a slight pause. "How about yourself? Is there anyone with you?"

"Just Officer Aiken."

"No one else?"

"No one else."

"Oh." There came an awkward silence. "How about your father? Have you met up with him?"

Star shook his head. "No. I saw him a while ago, but he hasn't seen me. We did come across Officer Burton just a moment ago, though, but he needed to find a restroom."

"Ah."

The albino glanced nervously over his shoulder. "There's some sort of creature wandering around inside. A hunchbacked woman in an ugly mask."

"Yeah, I encountered her earlier as well," Rebecca replied. "I think that's Lisa Trevor."

Star hesitated. "What? Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure." Her voice softened. "It's awful what they've done to her."

"From what I saw of her face, I have to agree," Star nodded thoughtfully. "Listen, we're going to see if there's a way to get you out of there, okay? Just hold on for a minute." Lowering the radio, he turned to Aiken. "There must be way to get down there. Help me try to move this."

"What are you, nuts?! There's no way we can move this thing!" Aiken retorted.

"Just try!" Star snapped back in exasperation.

"Alright, alright!" The Bravo said as he raised up his hands. "See if you can grab that end and try to move it while I take the other side."

The duo knelt and felt around, then tried pushing at different angles, trying to find some suggestion.

"Push! Push!" Aiken grunted.

A few minutes of exertion later, the survivors stopped.

"Stuck," Aiken said as he wiped his head. "No way in hell we can move that."

"Let's look around," Star said as he got up. "There must be a secret switch or something-" Aiken raised up a hand, motioning for him to stop. "What?" Aiken then pointed to the empty slot where the arrowhead was. At first Star was confused, but then it clicked. "Oh."

Aiken looked down, lifting up his own feet. "I don't see anything down here. How about you? Any luck."

Star frowned as he looked among the tombstones, shaking his head.

"I don't see anything here," he muttered.

The Bravo folded his arms and fumed. "Well, fuck! That's just great! That's just fucking great! That piece could be anywhere in this fucking shithole! What are we going to do?!"

Star raised a hand to his hooded head, then sighed.

"...I don't know!" he admitted. "I honestly don't know!"

Sweeping a hand through his hair, Aiken kicked a headstone. "FUUUUCK!"

The survivors paced about anxiously, looking around.

"...You do know what this means, right?" Aiken asked.

Star winced. "Please don't tell me..."

The Bravo nodded tiredly. "I'm afraid so. We have to go back inside into that fucking mansion again."

The albino gave a frustrated growl. "Jesus CHRIST!" He yelled the last part.

"Yeah, I'm just as pissed off as you are, but let's just go get this over with. The longer we wait out here, the more likely some creepy-crawly fuck is going to get at the others."

Letting out a tired huff, he remained still for a moment, then shook his head wearily. "Fine."

Star felt too exhausted to protest as he followed Aiken back to where they came.

Walking up the steps, he watched as the Bravo shook his head.

"What a fuckin' Friday night! Just searching a creepy mansion full of monsters for an arrowhead to get my friends out of a tomb in the middle of nowhere! Fucking BRILLIANT, Richard! Oh what a life you lead!" Aiken said to himself.

Star said nothing, unsure whether he should comment or feel concerned about the man's mental stability.

As they edged toward the mansion, a loud cry from inside caught their attention, Star's especially.

"That voice..."

Exchanging worried looks, the two of them looked back to the mansion and quickened their pace.

* * *

Throwing open the door, Star felt his pulse stop as his eyes widened in horror. "FATHER!"

Standing in the middle of the main hall was the armored titan, and in one massive hand was the limp form of Captain Albert Wesker as he dangled unconscious in the air by the throat.

"No," Star breathed as he rushed forward, running as fast as he could. "NO! GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Letting out a loud angry roar, the albino charged toward the giant and leapt up, delivering a dropkick into its armored back, causing the creature to stumble slightly and drop the S.T.A.R.S. Captain onto the floor.

_"Get the FUCK away from my father!"_ Star screamed, baring his teeth as he got to his feet.

Turning slowly around, the armored giant wheezed, tilting its head curiously.

Aiken quickly approached with his sidearm raised. "Is he alright?"

"I don't know," Star replied, his eyes never leaving the giant, even as the Bravo circled around him and knelt beside Captain Wesker's body.

"He's still alive!" Aiken called. "Just unconscious!"

The creature turned to face him, taking a threatening step toward him.

"NO!" Star shouted. Grabbing one of the nearby tripods, he lifted it up with both hands and charged forward with a yell, slamming it into the beast's back. The blow didn't create any sort of reaction within the creature other than to produce a loud clanging that drew its attention toward the albino himself. "You will NOT lay a hand on him!" Star yelled as he tightened his grip on the tripod. "Your fight is with me!"

The creature looked at him, its features hidden behind that lensed gas mask as it looked between him and Aiken.

Finally, the creature threw down its poleaxe, the blade burying itself deep into the floor while the handle pointed up to the air, as if it were smugly accepting Star's challenge.

Aiken carefully picked up Wesker's body. "I got the Captain! Come on, there's no way you can hurt him with all that armor on!"

Star narrowed his eyes. "I'm staying."

The Bravo blinked. "What?!"

"He's going to keep following us no matter what. I'll serve as a distraction for you and Father."

"But-"

"Go."

Aiken gave him a look. "...You do realize there is no way you can win this."

Star closed his eyes, and gave a sad nod. "I know. Just...just protect Father...please..."

The Bravo stared at him for a long time, his expression unreadable. Finally, he gave a quiet nod back, then headed through the dining hall doors, leaving the albino alone with the monster before him.

As the doors closed, Star suddenly felt a profound swell of terror, the likes of which he had never experienced before.

He was going to die.

He knew that he had no chance in hell at fighting this thing, and the creature seemed to know it as well. Star stared at it, blinking in confusion.

It didn't advance at all - it just stood there, as if somehow amused by the idea of the tiny thing before him taking it on.

Star recalled the memory of Theseus and the various heroes of old, the stories of men taking down monsters twice their size for inspiration, the story of David and Goliath...but in that moment, he suddenly felt very alone and vulnerable. He wanted to flee and hide, to cower somewhere, but he was too afraid.

Too afraid to run. Too afraid to attack. Too afraid to even move!

What was he even thinking?! Had he really been so deluded as to believe that he even stood a chance against this thing?!

Even now, he was shaking, and he could see the tripod in his hand unsteadily wavering.

He didn't want to die - he just wanted to have a normal life, enjoy the very things people take for granted.

Have a family...

Star thought about the things he would be unable to do, the things he wanted to do still, and it made him cry in fear and regret.

The albino sniffled, then drew in a sharp breath and swallowed as his eyes burned, his cheeks soaked. A quote from Yamamoto Tsunetomo's 'Hagakure' suddenly flashed in his mind, causing Star to give a derisive snort of amusement.

"'Rehearse your death every morning and night. Only when you constantly live as though already a corpse will you be able to find freedom in the martial Way, and fulfill your duties without fault throughout your life,'" he said aloud. Shaking his head, Star gave a rueful smile, amused at the horribly bitter irony.

So many regrets, so many missed opportunities. He longed to experience the sort of happiness he saw other people had, to experience his first kiss.

At least he was able to experience love, though.

_'Better to have felt love than to have not felt it at all, I suppose.'_ Came the dark thought.

Closing his eyes, he exhaled softly, then reopened them again.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to die," he said with despondent resignation.


End file.
